Agartala, 7th October 2026 : BJP workers and supporters launched an indefinite road blockade at Bir Chandra Manu Manpathar Bazar in Santirbazar subdivision on Wednesday, demanding the immediate arrest of those allegedly involved in an incident of election-related violence.
The protest came a day after BJP supporters had blocked the road and set a deadline for the authorities to arrest the accused. However, with no arrests reported so far, the protesters returned to the streets, accusing the police and administration of failing to take effective action.
The protesters questioned the role of Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Bapi Debbarma and alleged that despite assurances given during Tuesday’s blockade that the accused would be arrested promptly, no concrete action had been taken.
The protesters also raised strong objections against the BJP’s alliance with TIPRA Motha and demanded that the two TIPRA Motha ministers in the NDA government be removed from the alliance and the state cabinet. They said the two ministers should be removed after discussions with the central leadership.
According to the protesters, the removal of the two ministers was necessary to restore peace and ensure the smooth functioning of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). They alleged that BJP workers were being subjected to humiliation and discrimination despite working for the ruling party.
“This is not what an election should be. The tribal and non-tribal communities are being pitted against each other,” protesters alleged.
They further claimed that they had information related to the recent election which, if made public, could have serious consequences for officials associated with the electoral process.
The indefinite blockade disrupted vehicular movement and created tension in the area. The protesters demanded immediate intervention by Chief Minister Manik Saha and the BJP’s state leadership to ensure the arrest of those responsible.
After the blockade continued for several hours, BJP MLA and Mandal-level leaders reportedly appealed to the protesters to withdraw the agitation. Following the appeal, the blockade was eventually lifted. However, visible anger and frustration remained among several protesters.
A section of the protesters later alleged that despite working for the BJP for years, they had not received justice from the party over the incident. Some workers said they would no longer work for the BJP.
However, they said they continued to respect the party and its flag and would hand over the party flags to the local BJP office rather than discard them.
The latest protest comes against the backdrop of the recently concluded Village Committee elections, in which the BJP-led NDA alliance secured a significant victory. Despite the victory, allegations of post-election violence have emerged from different areas.
In North Ekchhari Village under the Amarpur Assembly constituency, a BJP Budh Mandir Shakti Kendra office was allegedly vandalised and set on fire after the election results were declared.
Of the nine seats in North Ekchhari Village, TIPRA Motha won seven, while the remaining two seats went to candidates backed by the BJP. BJP workers questioned how the party office could have been attacked in an area where, according to the election results, the opposition had limited organisational presence.
Meanwhile, BJP booth president Tarani Chakma reportedly spoke to the media about the alleged attack on the party office.
In another incident, TIPRA Motha MLA Nandita Reang reportedly faced protests while visiting her area to facilitate the joining of an independent candidate into the party. Local residents allegedly raised “Go Back” slogans against the MLA.
As tensions escalated, the MLA reportedly took shelter inside a house to protect herself from the protesters.
