Kolkata:

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev’s car was vandalised by some people in Tripura today. Some employees of a private firm that is helping Ms Dev’s party in political campaigns were injured in the attack. Ms Dev, who is overseeing the Trinamool Congress’s activities in Tripura, alleged the BJP was behind the attack.

Ms Dev was with employees of Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC, a political public relations and consultancy firm, when the attack happened. Political strategist Prashant Kishor and I-PAC had worked with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party for the West Bengal assembly election earlier this year.

Visuals show a blue SUV with the Trinamool Congress’s election symbol and loudspeakers on the roof dented with multiple hits.

“Sushmita Dev along with 10 other party workers of TMC were brutally attacked by workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party at Amtali bazar around 1:30 pm. The perpetrators vandalised vehicles, physically assaulted workers of the TMC and outraged the modesty of female party workers,” the Trinamool Congress said in a complaint to the police.

People of #Tripura will give a befitting response to this BARBARIC ATTACK!

Police must immediately stop acting as mere spectators. This collapse of law and order is unacceptable. WE DEMAND JUSTICE!#ShameOnBJPpic.twitter.com/700tdmRBM8

— AITC Tripura (@AITC4Tripura) October 22, 2021

“This was accompanied by theft of property including mobile phones belonging to supporters of the party. We request you to urgently enquire about the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Trinamool Congress said.

The BJP is setting new records in attacking opponents under Tripura’s Biplab Deb government, Trinamool Congress general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee said.

The Diamond Harbour MP accused the BJP of resorting to “political terrorism” and added that the “people of Tripura will answer”. He also said the Biplab Deb government is providing “DuareGundaRaj (Gunda Raj at the doorstep)” — a backhand swipe that contrasts with the Trinamool’s promise of Duare Sarkar (government at the doorstep).

“Under @BjpBiplab’s #DuareGundaRaj, attack on political opponents is setting new records! Physically manhandling a sitting female Rajya Sabha MP, @SushmitaDevAITC is BEYOND SHAMEFUL & POLITICAL TERRORISM by @BJP4Tripura goons! The time is near. People of Tripura will answer!,” Mr Banerjee tweeted.

Ms Dev, who quit the Congress in August to join the Trinamool, has been travelling across Tripura to drum up support as the Mamata Banerjee-led party pushes hard to emerge as a formidable force in the Northeastern state ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls.

“Our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has declared that the TMC will be contesting all the upcoming elections in Tripura and likewise we are preparing to contest the civic body polls. Let the polls be declared then the party will formulate a final strategy,” she told reporters in state capital Agartala on Thursday.

“The campaign will continue for 10-12 days, covering all 60 assembly constituencies in 58 blocks of eight districts. We will go to the people, interact with them and listen to their problems. Three teams have been formed for the campaign,” she said.