Agartala: The Tripura police detained over 300 persons and used force to dismantle a makeshift setup of the terminated 10,323 teachers protesting in front of the Agartala City Centre on Wednesday.
The terminated teachers’ protest entered the 52nd day on Wednesday, demanding immediate recruitment in government departments.
Speaking with reporters, Kamal Deb, leader of the Joint Movement Committee, a forum of the terminated teachers, said the Tripura police broke inside their tent, where the teachers were sleeping.
“The teachers were forcibly detained by Tripura Police and TSR personnel and taken to RK Nagar TSR battalion. We are not criminals. Why is the government so worried?” Deb questioned.
Additional superintendent of Police Shasvat Kumar told reporters that the teachers had given intimation of holding undemocratic protests, which might have harmed law and order situation across the city.
“We had reports of violent protests by the teachers, so we had to detain them from the demonstration site,” Kumar said.
Kumar’s vehicle was attacked by protesting teachers when the police tried to arrest the leader of the agitating teachers.
Following arrest of the teachers, dozens of demonstrators started marching towards Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s residence and made their way through Indira Gandhi Hospital road.
Earlier, West Tripura district magistrate Dr Shailesh Kumar Yadav issued an order imposing Section 144 in and around Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area.
“…satisfied that immediate prevention and speedy remedy is desirable and that there is sufficient ground for imposing restrictions on movement in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area to prevent danger to human life, public property and tranquility,” the order said.
It also said that in view of the emergent nature of the situation and with a view to ensure public peace and tranquility, this order is passed ex-parte addressed to the public in general and agitators of Joint Movement Committee of 10323 in particular.
“Any person violating this order shall be liable to be prosecuted under section 144 of CrPc.”
At 11 am, the terminated teachers reached Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, 200 metres away from the chief minister’s official residence.
The Tripura police has deployed massive security paraphernalia to stop the protesting teachers from marching further.
This is a developing story. More updates awaited.
