The Tripura Police on Monday arrested the father and brother of Congress youth leader Shahjahan Islam, just hours after his home in Agartala was attacked over his criticism of the government and police regarding issues related to animal sacrifice during Eid al-Adha.
West Tripura District Superintendent of Police, Kiran Kumar K, informed the media on Monday evening that the two arrested individuals, Khairul Islam and Najrul Miah, were produced before a local court and have been remanded to judicial custody till June 23.
The BJP alleged that Khairul Islam and Najrul Miah assaulted party activists who had gone to their residence to protest Shahjahan Islam’s derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister, the state government, and BJP leaders.
In a social media video, Shahjahan Islam strongly criticized the police and the state government for allegedly failing to act against miscreants who disrupted the traditional animal sacrifice on Eid al-Adha, expressing his disgust toward the police.
In the video on his Facebook page, Islam could be heard lashing out at the Tripura government and the police for purportedly failing to stand up to those who allegedly interrupted the customary animal slaughter on Bakrid. He was also heard insulting Chief Minister Manik Saha, calling BJP minority leaders “cheats,” and urging Muslims to “socially boycott” those from the community who are serving as leaders in the saffron party.
“Imam_Saheb from every mosque of the state must declare to boycott minority morcha-named Muslim leaders socially, and no social functions in their house like marriages can be offered, nor can the dead person’s dua be conducted, and lastly, they have to be declared hypocrites,” reads one of his Facebook posts.
Sharing images of Muslim BJP leaders, including the party’s minority wing leader and state minority board chairman Jashim Uddin, Shahjahan Islam wrote, “Boycott these hypocrites. I appeal to the entire Muslim community of the state. There is doubt whether they even have faith (Iman).”
Following this, the BJP filed a police complaint against him at the East Agartala Police Station.
Shahjahan’s house in Agartala was attacked late Sunday after he criticised the state government and police for their alleged silence over a few incidents centering on alleged cow slaughter on Eid al-Adha in the Gomati district on Saturday.
Clashes over animal sacrifice were reported from various locations in the Udaipur area of Gomati district.
On Saturday, four individuals were arrested for allegedly slaughtering a cow in public near a water body in the Chhanban area.
In a separate incident, a group of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists intercepted a vehicle loaded with a few cattle and handed them over to the West Agartala Police Station, suspecting that the animals were being illegally transported. However, the cattle owners claimed they had valid documents of sale and ownership.
In his statement to the police, Shahjahan Islam claimed that he was attacked by a group of goons shortly after returning home from the state Congress office on Sunday night.
He alleged that the assailants, armed with firearms, intended to kill him but failed as he managed to lock himself inside a room. He further stated that the attackers then physically assaulted his parents and wife.
Meanwhile, the Congress held a protest in Unakoti district condemning the attack on Shahjahan Islam’s residence in Agartala’s Shantipara area, while the BJP organized a rally in the state capital denouncing his statements.
“I strongly condemn the way Shahjahan Islam, a resident of Shantipara in Agartala, has hurled abusive language at the state’s popular Chief Minister, Professor Dr. Manik Saha, and at the Home Department police who work day and night for the safety of the state and the country. An FIR has been filed at A.D. Nagar Police Station demanding Shahjahan’s immediate arrest. I urge the administration to take prompt and strict punitive action based on this complaint,” BJP minority wing state president Billal Miah wrote on Facebook.
He alleged Islam attempted to “disrupt the peace, harmony, and communal unity of the state.”
Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman said, “It’s a very shameful thing that has happened over the last three days. Minorities, especially Muslims, were prohibited from sacrificing cattle in many parts of our state. They were beaten up, and their properties were damaged and destroyed.”
CPI-M Leader and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury said, “This incident is deeply worrisome and condemnable. The youth who made a video—if he said such things about the CM—I don’t support it. It should not be done. But the incident that happened as a reaction was even more wrong.”
Chaudhury added that he had contacted the Director General of Police regarding the matter, urging the state government to take necessary measures to maintain law and order.
“The state government should take steps so that law and order does not deteriorate. Or else, they won’t be able to contain the outrage,” he said.
Tripura Congress leader Birajit Sinha strongly criticized the BJP-led state government, stating that the rise in attacks on minority communities and Congress supporters, including assaults on houses, has been closely linked to the BJP’s tenure. He said communal tensions and incidents of violence have increased since the BJP came to power, accusing the administration of failing to curb this trend.
