At least nine Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries were injured on Sunday after the workers of Tipra Motha allegedly attacked the BJP members who assembled at Taksapara village in Khowai district to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ Programme, officials said.

A police officer said that around 30 BJP functionaries, members and supporters were assembled at a house at Taksapara village under Asharambari Assembly Constituency to listen to the Prime Minister’s monthly Mann Ki Baat Programme.

“When the Mann Ki Baat Programme was going on, a large number of Tipra-Motha workers attacked the gathering injuring nine BJP functionaries with two of them seriously. Local people took the injured to the Khowai district hospital,” the official said.

The TMP attackers also damaged eight bikes and two cars belonging to the BJP functionaries. A huge contingent of security forces led by senior police officials deployed in the tension ridden areas.

BJP Mandal President Jayanta Debbarma said that when the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme was underway around 100 unruly youths of the TMP attacked the party gathering.

“The attackers vandalized my vehicle too and also attacked the owner of the house where the Mann-Ki-Baat programme was organized. They also vandalized many bikes and several other vehicles,” Jayanta Debbarma told the media.

BJP leaders Papiya Datta, Pinaki Das Chowdhury and Bipin Debbarma separately condemned the incident and demanded severe action against the attackers.

Bipin Debbarma, state BJP’s General Secretary, said that a delegation of BJP leaders from Agartala rushed to Khowai district.

“Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and state BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee talked with the Tipra-Motha leaders and discussed the unexpected incident,” Bipin Debabrma told the media.

Asharambari Assembly Constituency is represented by senior Motha leader and Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma.

According to Bipin Debbarma, the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, spoke with Minister Animesh Debbarma over the incident.

The attackers used lathi, ‘dao’ (a sharp-edged weapon) and other locally made sticks to attack the BJP functionaries and members, Bipin Debbarma said, and demanded immediate arrest and punishment of the attackers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his thoughts with the people of the country and abroad in the Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani on Sunday, and it was the 124th episode of the monthly radio programme on Sunday.

The Tripura Chief Minister, his cabinet colleagues, many other leaders and thousands of workers and party members from across the state like previous episodes also listen to the programme on Sunday.