Agartala: The Trinamool Congress on Monday alleged that 23 members of political strategist Prashant Kishor’s Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) have been placed under ‘house arrest’ in Agartala even though the police here have termed the claim as ‘totally false’ and ‘fabricated’.
The national General Secretary of Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, alleged in a tweet: “The fear in BJP Tripura before even AITC officials stepped into the land, is more than evident!
“They are so rattled by our victory in Bengal that they’ve now kept 23 IPAC employees under house arrest. Democracy in this nation dies a thousand deaths under BJP’s misrule!”
However, the police in Agartala have said that the 23 people claimed to be members of I-PAC have been lodged in a hotel in the state capital since last week and there is no question of any house arrest.
“In view of the Covid pandemic and other law and order related issues, few police personnel, as part of routine check-up, went to the hotel only to verify their papers,” Ramesh Chandra Yadav, a sub-divisional police officer, told IANS on Monday night.
He said that such routine verification of papers is done for all people, especially those coming to Tripura from outside.
“No case has been registered against the I-PAC members, neither their movement in Tripura has been restricted. The police did not disturb their movement or work, if any,” the IPS officer said.
Another officer said that because the state is under Corona curfew since May, the police are taking all the necessary steps to enforce the regulation.
“The police have enquired about the I-PAC members and checked whether they underwent RT-PCR tests. If the test reports are found to be negative, all are allowed to move inside the state following the Covid protocols,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, Trinamool sources said that the issue has been reported to party supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and I-PAC chief Prashant Kishor.
Banerjee left Kolkata for Delhi on Monday amid speculation about her attempt to unite the anti-BJP opposition parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said the I-PAC team came to Tripura last week to assess the political situation in the state and potential support base for Trinamool before the Assembly elections in the state due in February 2023.