Trinamul’s Tripura unit has pounced on a letter by Union minister of state and Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief Ramdas Athawale to Tripura police, seeking “proper” security for RPI’s state unit chief Satyajit Das to once again flag the “deteriorating” law-and-order situation in the state.

Trinamul Tripura convener Subal Bhowmik on Wednesday released a video and a December 11 letter, purportedly written by an assistant private secretary to Athawale, seeking security for Das. RPI (A) is an ally of the ruling BJP.

Bhowmik said Trinamul’s complaints over law and order were hardly acknowledged as these were “from” the Opposition.

“The mask is off now. A cabinet colleague of the Prime Minister has written to inform about attacks on the RPI state president while seeking adequate security for him.… Will the PM still say there is good governance in the state, that chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb is running the state properly. That there is jungle raj has been admitted by a cabinet minister Ramdas Athawale..,” Bhowmik said.

Athawale holds the social justice and empowerment portfolio in the council of ministers headed by Modi. He had launched the Republican Party of India (A) unit in Tripura in January this year with an eye on the 2023 Assembly polls just like the Trinamul, which has been trying to rebuild the state unit to become a key contender in the state polls.

Athawale had said during the launch of the state unit that he would contest the state polls with its ally BJP if the ruling party “agrees” to share 3-4 seats with it out of 60.

The purported letter alleged that on December 1, Das’s vehicle was “stopped” in the middle of a road by a group of insurgents between Khumulwng and Udaipur and “banned” him from working in different parts of the state.

Das had been “regularly” campaigning for the NDA in the autonomous district council/Tripura for the past eight months, the letter said, adding the state RPI chief was attacked a few months ago by miscreants near Bishalgarh tea garden. His hand was “slightly injured” in the attack.

Das had been “regularly” campaigning for the NDA in the autonomous district council/Tripura for the past eight months, the letter said, adding the state RPI chief was attacked a few months ago by miscreants near Bishalgarh tea garden. His hand was “slightly injured” in the attack

The RPI then requested the DGP to “please ensure Das’ proper security” for the “smooth conduct” of party work in Tripura and entire Northeast as a party leader.

The Trinamul had made law and order a key poll plank in the run up to the recently-concluded urban body polls which was won comprehensively by the ruling BJP.

The Opposition party had even moved the Supreme Court in November to defer the urban body polls because of “widespread” intimidation and assault on its members, candidates and supporters by suspected BJP goons, a charge dismissed by the ruling party.

The apex court, however, refused to put off the polls but issued a slew of steps to the state administration to ensure a free and fair polls.

Reacting to purported RPI letter released by Bhowmik, the ruling BJP said if there is such a request the government will definitely look into it.

The BJP also took a dig at the Trinamul, which is in power in West Bengal, and Bhowmik, who was earlier with the Congress and the BJP.

Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said, “Trinamul and Subal ji should look at Bengal law and order situation. Not only the Opposition but their own (Trinamul) members or supporters do not feel safe. Even Trinamul women members do not feel safe because of infighting... Inner clashes have started in Tripura Trinamul unit too. Let us see how long Subal ji can stay in Trinamul,” Bhattacharya said.