The BJP is unleashing unprecedented terror in Tripura, especially on women candidates forcing them to withdraw their candidature, the Trinamul Congress has charged.

Trinamul Congress state general secretary and party’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “The BJP chief minister of Tripura, Biplab Deb is dead scared of the Trinamul Congress. He has unleashed goons who are kidnapping women candidates’ fathers or husbands and said if they withdraw their candidatures their kin will be returned.

Several complaints were filed in various police stations but initially, police were dilli-dallying, he said, adding that and later Trinamul Congress leaders forced them to take action against such goons. He said Biplab Deb has unleashed “Duare Goonda” or goonda Raj in Tripura.

“It shows he is mortally afraid of the Trinamul Congress especially after our national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s recent visit to Tripura. Trinamul Congress in Tripura has people’s sympathy,” he said, adding: “Trinamul Congress will come to power in Tripura in 2023.”

Tripura Trinamul Congress candidates filed nomination in all 51 wards of Agartala on 3 November. Of 51 candidates, 25 are women candidates. Women from general category, Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe are contesting in the municipal poll on Trinamul tickets. Trinamul Congress also filed nomination for municipal elections in Ambassa, Teliamuda and Khowai.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Deb, who is in charge of Tripura said BJP is causing hindrances and not allowing Trinamul Congress candidates to file nominations. She said, “Our party chief Mamata Banerjee insists that there should be equal number of women representatives and ours is the only party which has 41 per cent elected women representatives in Parliament.”

Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee today congratulated all candidates for filing their nominations. “Together, we shall serve the people of Tripura who have been deprived of a government that truly cares for them. We shall usher in real development for the people of Tripura,” she said.

Ms Sushmita Deb also alleged: “We could not announce earlier the names of the candidates as BJP goons were harassing them and ransacking their houses. She said these BJP goons stoop so low that they have beaten up the children of a woman candidate as she was not at home.

She said the Tripura CM, police, state election commission, Union home minister and NHRC are all silent on this issue. Though National Human Rights Commission sought reports from chief secretary and DGP Tripura regarding violence and manhandling of Trinamul leaders and workers, including Deb herself, Dola Sen and Aparupa Poddar, the violence remains unabated, said Ms Deb.

Meanwhile three police stations in Tripura have sent summons to Kunal Ghosh over his comments on Sita. In this connection, Mr Ghosh said in Tripura, Biplab Deb is claiming Ram Rajya so I asked the women folk why she had gone for ‘agnipariksha’ or end her life by going inside the mother earth (patal prabesh). Mr Ghosh added: “We are Hindus but unlike BJP we don’t sell Hinduism for cheap politics.”