Tripura: VHP activists and police clash after procession was disallowed

News Desk: Activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) clashed with security personnel in Tripura after the police disallowed them from taking out a procession in the Udaipur area of Gomati district, about 50 km from state capital Agartala, against attacks on members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

Police said three security personnel and one VHP activist sustained injuries.

Amidst tension in Bangladesh, a three days long second Bangladesh Film festival scheduled to start from Thursday in Agartala was cancelled.

“Three security personnel sustained injuries as the protesters pelted stones at them after their procession was halted by police. One protester was also injured” said Tripura’s inspector general (Law and Order) Arindam Nath.

The local administration has imposed prohibitory orders in the area till Friday to avoid any other incident.

A police officer said the VHP march was ordered to be stopped after authorities received information that it could lead to disruption of law and order but the protesters did not comply with the instructions.

Someone might have misled the police that it will lead to deterioration of law and order, a local RSS leader Abhijit Chakraborty said.

“The scuffle took place between us and the police after they suddenly tried to obstruct us. Twelve of our protesters were injured after the police resorted to lathi-charge and all of them are admitted to hospital in Gomati district” he said.

Different organizations also held processions at Dharmanagar in North district apart from Agartala in West district on Thursday evening demanding punishment for the people involved in alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

The three-day second Bangladesh Film festival scheduled to start from Thursday in Agartala has already been cancelled.