TMC Accuses BJP of “State-Sponsored Political Terror” After Attack on Party Office in Tripura

Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP following the violence at the party’s Tripura unit office, accusing the ruling party of unleashing “state-sponsored political terrorism” in the northeastern state.

Addressing the media at Trinamool Bhavan, West Bengal minister Sashi Panja said a five-member TMC delegation had left for Tripura to assess the situation and meet party workers after the alleged attack in Banamalipur, the constituency of former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb, on Monday.

“Tripura is under an intolerant and violent BJP regime. The events on Monday clearly expose how those who claim to uphold democracy behave in reality. The video evidence is undeniable,” Panja said, alleging that the destruction took place “in the presence of the police,” who “stood by as mute spectators.”

Describing the incident as “state-sponsored political terrorism,” Panja said democracy no longer existed in Tripura. “When our party office was being looted, police officers were present but did nothing. Banamalipur — once Biplab Deb’s own constituency — has now become a symbol of state terror,” she told reporters while displaying photographs of the vandalized office.

Panja also noted that TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had strongly condemned the incident, recalling how his convoy was previously attacked in Tripura.

Taking aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Panja accused him of “double standards.”

“Just two days ago, the Prime Minister accused Bengal of lacking democracy, without a shred of evidence, blaming TMC for attacks on BJP leaders. But what happened in Tripura exposes the BJP’s hypocrisy. Those who preach democracy are the ones unleashing hooligans on the opposition,” she alleged.

Panja further charged that there was a “deliberate attempt to divide Bengali-speaking people” in West Bengal and Tripura by insulting the Bengali language. “According to the 2011 Census, Bengalis constitute 67% of Tripura’s population. Now, efforts are being made to pit one community against another. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always seen through such divisive politics,” she said.

Citing an example of political civility, Panja recalled that when BJP MP Khagen Murmu was recently injured, Mamata Banerjee personally visited him at the hospital. “But when she was injured in 2021, BJP leaders mocked her — even the Prime Minister ridiculed her. Is that political decency?” she asked.

She went on to allege that when TMC leaders were attacked in Tripura in previous incidents, police refused to file FIRs, and injured workers were denied medical treatment in local hospitals. “We had to bring them to Bengal for treatment. That is the BJP’s idea of democracy,” Panja remarked.

Panja also accused the BJP of harboring “a vindictive attitude towards Bengal,” claiming that central funds for the 100-day job scheme and Awas Yojana had been frozen, while MGNREGA funds in Tripura were “misused without accountability.”

“The BJP itself couldn’t bear the disrepute brought by Biplab Deb — that’s why they removed him before the 2023 assembly elections. Yet today, they have brought him back to Bengal,” she added.

TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty described Monday’s violence as evidence of a “certified lumpen rule.”

“The BJP claims to be the world’s largest political party, but what we saw in Tripura exposes the reality of its lumpen raj,” Chakraborty said.