Several ABVP activists injured in police lathi-charge in Tripura capital

  • By Our Correspondent
  • Sep 07, 2021

Agartala, Sept 07: At least 25 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists were injured after police resorted to lathi-charge during an agitation at Shiksha Bhavan in the city on Tuesday.

Rupam Dutta, state secretary (organization) of ABVP, strongly condemned the incident. He alleged that the agitation was launched for the interest of students but police lathi-charged them mercilessly leaving around 20-25 persons injured.

The ABVP activists, as they alleged, were protesting at Shiksha Bhavan demanding offline examination for the D.El.Ed students since 11 am. But, no official from the Education department met them till 6 pm.

The entire education system is collapsing following inefficacy of the Education department, an ABVP member said, particularly blaming the Secretary of Education.

Addressing a press conference with some of the injured ABVP activists at IGM hospital, Dutta said they would stage a protest programme on Wednesday following which they would raise demand for suspension of the Secretary of Education.

Meanwhile, police said the protestors were informed that their demand would be discussed at 11 am but they were in no mood to listen to anything and the employees were stuck inside the Shiksha Bhavan since morning. Finally, police had to resort to minor lathi-charge to disperse the protestors, an officer told the media.

In the meantime, Director of Higher Education N.C. Sharma accompanied by Director of Elementary Education Chandni Chandran held an urgent press conference at Agartala Press Club highlighting some important issues.

An official said, “D.El.ED students were protesting at Shiksha Bhavan for online examination though no decision on the issue was taken yet. The D.El.Ed (DIET) is only looked after by SCERT but they had gheraoed the entire Shiksha Bhavan from morning. They were protesting at the wrong place. There is no office of SCERT inside Shiksha Bhavan. Only thing is that the Director of Higher Education is also the Director of SCERT.”

“We tried our level best; we also informed them that they can have a meeting with the Education minister tomorrow and issues will be solved. It’s a matter of one night only. Police also tried hard to remove them without force. But, they didn’t go following which the police had to apply minor force. No girl was harmed, they were escorted peacefully,” the official said.