A delegation of All India Congress Committee (AICC) led by deputy leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Gourav Gogoi along with other senior leaders of the party on Thursday evening met the Governor demanding free and fair Panchayat election and protection of political rights of opposition parties.

Congress leader Gourav Gogoi, senior AICC leader Tariq Anwar,  AICC In-charge Tripura, Girish Chodankar Congress secretary Szarita Laitphlang , Pradesh Congress president Ashish Kumar Saha and permanent invite member of Congress Working Committee (CWC) Sudip Roy Barman has submitted their notice to the Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu over the sensitive incident of Gangacherra and over continues violent attacks on opposition in the run up to Panchayat elections.

Later, speaking with media persons outside of Governor House, Gourav Gogoi  said that the Congress party does not want that like Manipur similar ethnic violence erupts in Tripura and the party wanted equal justice to everyone and each community.

Gogoi and other leaders discussed about the ongoing violent incidents relating to Panchayat elections in the state and recent ethnic violence in Gandacherra in Tripura’s Dhalai district with Governor.

He said that the Congress wanted justice to the youth who was killed and to those people, whose houses, shops and properties were either burnt down or damaged in the recent ethnic violence in Ganda Twisa.

Large-scale arson, attacks and looting took place in Gandacherra on July 12 after the death of a tribal college student Parameshwar Reang, who succumbed to his injuries after being assaulted on July 7.

He claims that targeted attacks on party workers ahead of Panchayat polls in Tripura is going on and police administration and state government became silent spectators.

He  accused the ruling BJP dispensation in Tripura of unleashing targeted violence and attack on its party workers and stressed how they are subjected to unimaginable atrocities, especially during elections.

He claimed that the incidents of violence and oppression have increased after the announcement of Panchayat elections in the state.

“Tripura appears to be treading down a distressing path, echoing the turmoil witnessed in Manipur. The rising tensions and communal strife in these regions underscore a worrisome trend exacerbated under BJP rule,” said Gogoi.

Gogoi said that hundreds of its workers were brutally beaten and their properties vandalised at the hands of the ruling regime and this exposed the falling norms of democracy in the BJP-ruled state.

 “Hundreds of our dedicated workers were brutally beaten and their properties vandalised at the hands of the ruling regime. It is this grave situation in Tripura that not just the people of India should be privy about, but the whole world should witness the systematic death of democracy,” he claimed.

He further said that Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee workers and senior leaders are being subjected to systemic violence and on Thursday also senior party leader Sudip Roy Barman suffered injuries during indiscriminate stone pelting by BJP supporters in front of Tepania Block, when Congress workers tried to file their nomination papers.

He alleged that the law and order situation totally collapsed the BJP ruled state and democratic rights of opposition parties had been snatched by the goons of BJP.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi  said India is a ‘model of democracy’, we want Tripura to also be a model of democracy and we are very much hopeful that after meeting with the Governor, some concrete steps would be taken by the government to restore normalcy before Panchayat polls,” said Gogoi.

Senior AICC observer Tariq Anwar said that on Friday Pradesh Congress will submit a memorandum before the Government by mentioning all violent attacks on their party workers and demanages of their properties in the ongoing process of Panchayat elections. “The recent events surrounding the Panchayat elections in Tripura have unveiled a distressing narrative of democratic erosion and violence,” he said.

“Countless Congress workers' residences have been maliciously set ablaze, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in various regions such as Bamuita, Kalyanpur, Dukli, Santchand, Tepania, Kalacherra, and Salema,” he said.

Tariq Anwarsaid that the panchayat poll on August 8 should be held in a free, fair and transparent manner allowing all parties to participate in the entire electoral process.

He concluded by saying that the Congress will steadfastly stand for free and fair electoral practices and called for swift action against those indulging in violence.