Opposition CPI (M) and Congress criticized the ruling BJP  over attack at the house of Youth Congress (YC) leader, Md Sahajan Islam on Sunday midnight at Shantipara area of Agartala after criticised the state government and police for their alleged silence over a few incidents centering on alleged cow slaughter on Eid-al-Adha or Bakrid in the Gomati district.

In a video on his social media page, Md Sahajan Islam could be heard lashing out at the Tripura Government and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha with derogatory and indecent words and the police for purportedly failing to stand up to those who allegedly interrupted the customary animal slaughter on Bakrid.

Islam through derogatory remarks  insulted  Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, and calling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minority leaders “cheats”, and urging Muslims to “socially boycott” those from the community who are serving as leaders in BJP.

His comments sparked controversy online, and several netizens, including BJP activists, demanded action against the Youth Congress leader. The ruling BJP filed a complaint late Sunday at the East Agartala Police Station against Md Sahajan Islam.

After Islam’s house in the Shantipara area of Agartala was attacked, the police soon rushed to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control.

While, Md Sahajan Islam claimed that  he was attacked by a band of goons as soon as he returned home from the Congress office. He also alleged that the attackers, who were purportedly brandishing firearms, wanted to kill him, but he locked himself inside a room. He said the group later assaulted his parents and wife and ransacked household items.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member and MLA Sudip Roy Barman, Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha, and others visited his house later.

Roy Barman condemned the attack on Islam’s house, and said he would seek justice from the court. “He (Sahajan) made a political attack on the chief minister in a Facebook live yesterday. He had an outburst over numerous incidents of attacks centering on Eid on Saturday. But these attacks on his residence right next to a mosque speak volumes about how a fascist government is running in the state, led by the chief minister. There is no rule of law. These people who were seen involved in the attack on his residence tonight are all very close to the Chief Minister,” Roy Barman alleged.

He also demanded immediate arrest and legal action against those involved in the attack on Islam’s house.

Speaking to reporters, a BJP leader said, “Sahajan Islam made extremely derogatory comments against Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, BJP Minority Morcha leader, and state minority board chairman Jashim Uddin among others. This is an attempt to destroy peace and tranquility prevailing in the state. We vehemently condemn it and have filed a complaint against the concerned Congress leader, demanding his immediate arrest”.

Meanwhile, leader of opposition (LoP) and CPI (M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury also condemned the attack at the house of Youth Congress leader in Agartala. Subsequently, he also criticized the outburst of the Youth Congress leader and claimed that indecent words should not be used against the Chief Minister.

“The attack on Youth Congress leader house at the same area, where ancestors house of Chief Minister also located in the same area, reflects the deteriorated law and order situation of the state, where goons openly and in front of police attacks and they had also tried to attack senior Congress leaders,” said Chaudhury.

It may be recalled here that Chief Minister Dr Saha’s family was ancestrally based at Shantipara. State Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha lives in the same area, and dropped Sahajan Islam at his home on his way back from the party office last night.

Sunday’s incident came after clashes were reported on Bakrid, which was celebrated a day before, at different places in Udaipur in the Gomati district. Four people were detained for allegedly slaughtering a cow in public near a water body in the Chanban area in Udaipur. A similar incident was reported in the Rajnagar area of Udaipur, where a minority family was accused of slaughtering a cow in the open.