The Trinamul Congress has accused the BJP’s Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb of using his entire state machinery to prevent Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee from peacefully conducting outreach events even before Mr Banerjee reaches Agartala.

The accusation came after the Tripura government withdrew permission for holding a rally to be addressed by Mr Banerjee at the planned venue, and issued a notification making a negative Covid-19 test report mandatory for visitors coming to the state from West Bengal and a few other states.

Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Deb said, “Chief minister Biplab Deb is a coward and we cannot say this enough times. Time and again he has blatantly misused state machinery to threaten us, attack us and silence us. It’s a shame that in a democratic nation such acts go unnoticed. The silence of the Home Minister is deafening.”

After recent attacks on Trinamul Congress leaders by allegedly BJP goons, Ms Deb had moved the Supreme Court urging the court to ensure the safety and security of party workers and leaders. She also reached out to the Governor of Tripura regarding the worrying law and order situation in the state.

The TMC also alleged that the Tripura government in order to prevent Mr Banerjee from coming to Tripura had issued a notification stating that people coming from states with a 5 per cent Covid positivity rate would require to possess a negative RT-PCR Covid test report, regardless of their vaccination status.

The notification specifically mentions nine states, including West Bengal. Dr Santanu Sen, Rajya Sabha MP from West Bengal said: “It’s a deliberately malicious move on the part of BJP Tripura government to prevent the visit of Abhishek Banerjee. Like their other falsehoods, no districts of West Bengal has recorded more than 2 per cent Covid -19 positive cases. This is a blatant lie to include West Bengal’s name.”

Earlier, the Tripura government had given permission to hold Abhishek Banerjee’s meeting near Rabindra Bhavan and accordingly a stage was built and the entire city was decorated with party’s flags and hoardings. But just 24 hours before, today, Tripura police withdraw permission of holding the rally tomorrow.

The police dismantled the stage and pulled down the hoardings and flags. Tripura Congress leaders squatted at the spot to protest against such atrocities. The TMC leader’s rally will now be held at Swami Vivekananda stadium in the city.

Meanwhile, Trinamul Congress state general secretary and party’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh was summoned to Tripura North police station and questioned for a few hours. Mr Ghosh later told media persons: “I received a summons late last night relating to an FIR lodged in Tripura (North) police station but peculiarly, the OC refused to show me the FIR copy.”