Bandh in Tripura over scribe’s killing

Agartala, November 23

A bandh called by the Opposition BJP and the Congress today to protest the killing of a journalist inside the battalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) hit normal life in Tripura.

While the BJP called a dawn-to-dusk bandh demanding a CBI inquiry and resignation of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, the Congress called a 24-hour bandh seeking a probe by the CBI.

Sudip Datta Bhaumick, the reporter of a Bengali daily ‘Syandan Patrika’, was shot dead on Tuesday and the commandant of the 2nd battalion of the counter-insurgency paramilitary force and a TSR constable were arrested in this connection.

Shops and markets were closed and vehicles were off the roads in the state in view of the bandh. Schools, colleges, banks and financial institutions remained closed and attendance was poor in government offices.

The police said adequate security measures have been taken and there has been no untoward incident till noon.

Barring ‘Daily Desher Katha’, the mouthpiece of the ruling CPM, all other newspapers left their editorial columns blank today in protest against the killing. — PTI