Agartala, Sep 3 (IANS) The ruling BJP in Tripura on Wednesday clarified that the law would take its own course after four youths allegedly threatened to “chop off the head” of the party’s ally Tipra Motha Party (TMP) legislator Philip Kumar Reang at the MLA Hostel, a well guarded complex in Agartala.
Tripura state BJP President Rajib Bhattacharjee said that the law would take its own course in the September 1 incident in the MLA hostel.
“We never promote crime and support wrongdoers. Our government is serious about maintaining law and order and the government will not spare anyone who breaks the law,” Bhattacharjee, also a Rajya Sabha member, told the media.
He said that considering the importance of the incident, Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar, West Tripura SP Namit Pathak, other senior officials and Tripura Assembly Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Paul visited the MLA Hostel and spoke to the legislator.
Telangana Governor and former Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma’s son Pathik Dev Varma along with three other BJP supporters allegedly threatened Reang at the MLA Hostel in Agartala on Monday night.
All the four youths including Pathik Dev Varma were granted bail after they surrendered before the New Capital Complex police station on Tuesday night.
Reang, who was elected from the Kanchanpur Assembly constituency in North Tripura, has lodged an FIR demanding appropriate action against the accused persons.
Pathik Dev Varma was one of those named as an accused in the FIR.
The MLA hostel, located in the New Capital Complex, is situated near the State Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and the Tripura High Court.
Reang claimed that the four youths threatened him at the hostel on Monday night while he was talking with some people outside his room. He alleged that the youths were in an inebriated condition.
Reang in a Facebook post, said: “New MLA Hostel is not safe for MLAs. I was threatened on Monday around 10 P.M. by unknown 3-4 persons who were all drunk, just in front of my room. Who should take responsibility for the security lapses?”
A six-member TMP MLA delegation led by Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Brishaketu Debbarma on Tuesday met Chief Minister Manik Saha at his civil secretariat office and urged him to ensure the security of legislators at the MLA hostel.
“Monday night’s incident at the MLA hostel is a life-threatening case for all legislators. The matter is very serious. The Chief Minister has assured us that he will look into the matter with utmost seriousness,” the minister had told the media after the meeting.
Terming the incident a major security lapse, Reang requested the Chief Minister to look into the issue seriously.
“These four people threatened to chop off my head and said they would bring 500 people to the MLA hostel next time. These four persons might have come to the hostel to meet BJP MLA Pramod Reang, who is also staying there,” Reang had told the media.
DGP Anurag said there was an argument between the legislator (Philip Reang) and three/four persons at the MLA hostel on Monday night.
“Police have started an investigation to identify the people who threatened the MLA. Normally, only guests of the MLAs are allowed to enter the hostel. We are looking into the incident with all seriousness,” the police chief told the media.
There are 45 rooms in the MLA hostel, of which 40 have been allotted to legislators from the BJP, the TMP, the CPI-M, and the Congress.
–IANS
sc/rad