India Tomorrow team
NEW DELHI—Attacks on Muslim houses and religious places, including mosques, were reported from Agartala and other places in Tripura on Thursday. A sense of fear has gripped the local Muslims.
The incident happened after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council), a radical organization, took out a procession in the streets of Agartala to protest the indiscriminate attacks on temples and Durga pandals in neighbouring Bangladesh.
As many as seven Hindus are reported to have been killed in Bangladesh in the violence engineered by fundamentalists there. VHP also submitted a memorandum to the Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner office, demanding stringent action against the culprits and payment of compensation to Hindus who suffered losses.
Earlier, Imam Abdur Rahman of a ‘madrasa’ in Routhkhola rea of Agartala had condemned the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. He also extended greetings to local Hindus when a group of BJP leaders led by one Sushanta Deb called him on the occasion of Dussehra (Vijaydashmi) day.
According to reports reaching here, miscreants vandalized several mosques. Moreover, they asked the management of several other mosques not to give the call for Azaan (call to prayer).
The targeted mosques included Agartala mosque, Maharani Udaipur mosque(it was burned completely), Krishnagar mosque, Dharmanagar, Ratanbari, and Kailshahar mosque.
The goons, according to reports, attacked mosques in Ratanbari and Dhamanagar and asked the muezzin not to give the call for Azaan.
In Kailashnagar town, some people allegedly from VHP hoisted its flag on the Kailashnagar town mosque and raised anti-Muslim slogans. They also attacked the Krishnagar mosque in Agartala town.
According to reports, miscreants also attacked the house of advocate Abdul Basit Khan. Muslim hawkers were attacked and forced to vacate the market area in Pal Bazar Ratabari in the Unakoti district. Several shops were also vandalized in Maharani Udaipur. VHP flags were hoisted on several Muslim businessmen’s houses in Kailashahar.
What is most disturbing is that the Chandrpur Mosque in Chief Minister Biplab Deb’s constituency in Agartala was also vandalized. “Right wing goons are attacking minorities in Tripura because some goons have attacked minorities in Bangladesh,” tweeted SIO’s Mohammad Salman.
All these vandalism happened despite the district administration imposing restrictions under Section 144 CrPC.
Meanwhile, Pradyot Manikya, a scion of the Tripura Royal family, condemned the violence against Muslims. In a tweet, he said, “Any motivated acts in our state where minorities are attacked as retaliation to what has happened in Bangladesh must be condemned! Please remember Two wrongs don’t make a right …. I appeal for peace amongst all religions in our state.”
