Tripura bandh called by Left parties passes off peacefully, CPI-M blames ruling BJP for worker's murder

Guwahati: The dawn-to-dusk bandh called by Opposition left parties in Tripura to register protest against murder of a CPI-M worker passed off peacefully with the same making not much impact on the daily activities.

Activities in state capital Agartala remained normal while CPI-M workers staged protests in some other districts during the bandh on Sunday. But police said the bandh failed to make any impact on the daily activities.

The left parties called the bandh as a protest against the death of Badal Shil, a candidate for South Tripura Zilla Parishad elections on Friday. The CPI-M leaders alleged that Shil was murdered by workers of ruling BJP as he tried to highlight the 'misrule' of the saffron party ahead of the Panchayat and Zilla Parishad polls scheduled on August 8. 

CPI-M leader and former MP, Jitendra Choudhury on Saturday said it was a political murder by BJP as the ruling party tried to scuttle the voices of the opposition parties ahead of the panchayat polls. 

Political violence in Tripura has remained a serious concern and the same aggravated during former CM Biplab Kumar Deb's tenure. Deb, however, was replaced in May 2022 by Manik Saha, who later became the CM again after the elections last year.

Saha had taken several steps to stop political violence but Shil's death on Friday raised questions about the role played by the administration to prevent similar violence ahead of panchayat and Zila Parishad elections on August 8.

Security was stepped up to prevent further tension between opposition party workers and that of BJP in the run up to the polls.