Kailashahar (Tripura) [India], January 23 : Tension gripped the Katal Dighirpar area of Kailashahar town in Unakoti district on Friday evening after violent clashes broke out between two groups of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Public Works Department (PWD) tenders, leaving at least one person injured, police said.
The incident occurred in the central part of the town and escalated rapidly, triggering stone-pelting, vandalism and arson. BJP Kailashahar Mandal president Pritam Ghosh sustained injuries in the violence and was rushed for medical treatment.
According to sources, the residence of BJP Yuva Morcha district president Arup Dhar was vandalised, while a fire was set at an unofficial Yuva Morcha office in the same locality. Fire services personnel later brought the blaze under control.
Locals alleged that the clash erupted between two factions of the ruling party, one led by the Mandal president and the other by the Yuva Morcha district president, over disputes related to three PWD tenders in Unakoti district.
To disperse the crowd and restore order, police resorted to a lathi charge and fired shots in the air. The situation was eventually brought under control with the deployment of additional security forces.
Senior officials, including North Tripura Superintendent of Police Sudhambika R, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rahul A, and Officer-in-Charge of Kailashahar police station Tapas Malakar, rushed to the spot. A large contingent of Tripura Police, State Reserve Police and central armed police forces has been deployed in the area.
Although the situation remains tense, it is under control, police said, adding that security personnel are maintaining a strict vigil.
Alleging targeted violence, BJP Mandal president Pritam Ghosh claimed that a group of youths armed with sharp weapons and sticks created disturbances near a puja venue and attacked people who arrived after receiving information about the unrest, leading to further escalation.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rahul A said the situation was currently under control and necessary steps had been taken to prevent further violence. "Additional forces have been deployed, and the area is being closely monitored," he said.
Police said further action would be taken based on the findings of the ongoing investigation.