Days after BJP workers were blamed for the attack on the Congress chief in Tripura, a senior Congress leader in the state has been arrested for his involvement in the said attack. Pijush Kanti Biswas, President of the Tripura Unit of the Congress party, was attacked on Sunday in Bishalgarh of Sipahijala district. He had suffered minor injuries in the attack.
Following the attack, the Congress party had gone to the extent of demanding a 12-hour strike on Monday. However, now, Joydul Hossain, head of the party’s minority cell, has been arrested in connection with the same.
Media had blamed ‘BJP workers’
The media was quick to blame the BJP for the attack on Biswas. It is not clear how they reached that conclusion. Times Now published a report on the 17th of January with the headline, “BJP workers allegedly attack vehicle of Tripura Congress chief Pijush Kanti Biswas in Bisalghar area”.
NDTV, too, published a report on the same saying that the Tripura Congress Chief was “allegedly” attacked by BJP workers. The report had inputs from PTI.
India.com published a report on the matter as well where it was stated, “Tripura state Congress president Pijush Kanti Biswas on Sunday suffered minor injuries after his vehicle was attacked in Bishalgarh area of Tripura’s Sipahijala district this morning. The Congress alleged that the attack was targetted by BJP workers and in protest, called for a 12-hour state-wide bandh on Monday.”
The evidence on the basis of which the media outlets made the claim is yet unknown. However, it is likely that they were compelled to blame BJP workers for the attack due to their personal biases.
Former Tripura Congress Chief is not surprised
Pradyot Manikya, former head of the Congress party in Tripura and the head of the erstwhile royal family, has said that he is not surprised that the state Congress chief was attacked by Joydul Hossain. He said, “One of perpetrators on the attack on Tripura Cong Pres has been arrested and somehow I am not surprised he is the state General Secy/minority cell chairman of the Congress party. Joydul Hussain was arrested from the airport while trying to flee The state. Groupism hits a new low”.
He went on to level serious allegations against the All India Congress Committee and said that he was overruled when he objected to Hossain being awarded a party ticket because Hossain was accused of child trafficking. “When I became president I removed him as office bearer but my list was never accepted-AICC wanted him on the list,” Pradyot Manikya said.
