TMC MP Sushmita Dev 'Attacked' During Campaign in Tripura, Car Vandalised

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev was attacked while campaigning in Tripura’s Amtuli on Friday. Her car was vandalised in the incident, while members of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) were injured.

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor’s firm is helping the TMC in elections. Dev alleged that the BJP was behind the attack.

“Today, when we just sat in our campaign car, four to five men suddenly came from behind, wearing Tilaks on their foreheads. They attacked our workers from behind,” Dev said after the incident.

“The way they attacked us; it was clear that they were backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Police. They are scared, that’s why they are doing this. Police personnel were standing nearby and did nothing to avert the incident,” she said.

Abhishek Banerjee also attacked the saffron party in a tweet, saying “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!” he said, adding that the people of Tripura would answer, as the “time was near”.

However, the BJP rubbished the reports. “Sushmita Dev is seeing the BJP attack everywhere. They do all these things in Bengal,” said Bengal BJP MP Arjun Singh.

The TMC is set to contest the upcoming civic body elections in Tripura. Dev is overseeing the party activities in the state, and had said on Thursday that a final strategy will be formulated once the elections are declared.

“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 had said, addressing a press conference.

Dev had announced that the party would on Friday launch a campaign — “Tripurar Jonno Trinamool” (TMC for Tripura) — to reach out to the people of the state.

“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 had said.

With inputs from PTI.

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