Dharmanagar witnessed severe political unrest today as clashes broke out between rival groups, leaving at least 10 to 12 workers from the CPI(M) and the Congress injured, three of them critically. The situation in the town remains tense.

The trouble began late yesterday night after alleged vandalism at the Dharmanagar District Congress office triggered anger among party workers. Today morning, the Congress staged a protest march and subsequently blocked the road in front of the district office. The blockade was lifted only after police assured swift action and the arrest of those responsible.

Soon afterwards, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) launched a separate blockade at the same location, demanding the arrest of district Youth Congress leader Jahangir Hossain, who is accused of assaulting ABVP leader Aniket Deb the previous afternoon.

District Congress president Digbijoy Chakraborty alleged that around midday, “hundreds of BJP-backed miscreants” attacked the Congress office, vandalized property, and injured several workers. One Congress worker, reportedly in serious condition, is undergoing treatment at the district hospital. Chakraborty claimed the assault occurred in the presence of police but no immediate action was taken. He also criticized the state government, questioning the Chief Minister’s silence over repeated attacks on opposition members.

Around the same time, the CPI(M) organized a protest rally from its party office to the District Magistrate’s office, where leaders addressed a street meeting. Tension escalated when a BJP procession from Kalidighi reached the area, resulting in a confrontation. Clashes broke out within minutes. CPI(M) leaders alleged that BJP supporters launched an unprovoked assault on their rally. Several leaders, including state committee member Amitava Dutta and district leader Ratan Roy, were injured and later hospitalized.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar, Additional SP Komal Debbarma, and District SP Avinash Rai rushed to the scene, deploying additional forces to control the situation.

Local residents accused the administration of negligence, saying that despite heightened political tension since Tuesday, police allowed multiple parties to hold rallies along the same route without altering the schedule or imposing restrictions. Eyewitnesses alleged that miscreants carrying political party flags attacked opposition workers and vandalized CPI(M) publicity vehicles as police stood by.

Fear spread through the town as shops and markets shut abruptly, reminding many of the violent clashes of the 1990s. As of press time, no arrests had been reported.

Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Kumar Saha condemned the incidents, calling them “extremely shameful,” especially on Constitution Day. He said the Congress office, regarded as a symbolic space of unity for party workers, had been desecrated while police remained passive. Despite the assault, Congress workers attempted to resist the attackers, he added.