The residents of West Chandrapur at Dharmanagar in North Tripura district fled the village on Monday following a clash between the ruling BJP and the CPM on Sunday.

The BJP has lodged a complaint against 21 people who were allegedly involved in the clash.

Speaking to this correspondent on Monday, BJP MLA and deputy Speaker Biswabandhu Sen said, “We have lodged a complaint against 21 people on Sunday night who were involved in the clash. They are supporters of the CPM.”

The officer-in-charge (OC) of Dharmanagar police station, Milan Dutta said: “The ruling BJP has lodged an FIR against 21 people, but they did not mention any political party.”

He said of the three persons injured, two had been referred to Silchar Medical College in Assam.

“After the incident, the villagers fled and now the entire village is deserted. We have deployed adequate forces in the area and investigations are on,” Dutta said.

Former CPM MP Jitendra Choudhury blamed Sen for Sunday’s clash, alleging that he had turned Dharmanagar town into a “jungle raj’.

“The BJP supporters were campaigning for the panchayat elections in West Chandrapur village, which is a minority-inhabited village, and started threatening people. They were chanting “Jai Sri Ram”. When the villagers requested them not to do so, they started assaulting people. The villagers protested and violence started at this point,” he said.

On being asked if any FIR had been filed, Choudhury said: “To whom shall we file an FIR? Is there any rule of law? From where will we get justice? In Tripura, the administration has become gunda (goon). Let us see what happens. They are forcing us to take law into our own hands, but we have appealed to our supporters to refrain from any kind of violence.”

Speaking to this correspondent, Sen said during campaigning for the upcoming panchayat election, BJP supporters were attacked by CPM workers.

“The supporters and workers of our party were campaigning across Dharmanagar for upcoming panchayat polls. Suddenly some CPM supporters, led by one Dulu Miah, blocked the road and assaulted them,” he said.

He said the CPM supporters had allegedly torched 20 motorbikes and two vehicles of BJP supporters.

“The CPM attacked our party supporters with sharp weapons and sticks. Someone from them fired in the air. The CPM supporters burnt 20 bikes and two cars. Four BJP supporters were injured. Three were grievously injured and we sent them to Silchar in Assam for treatment,” Sen said.

On Sunday, additional superintendent of police (north), H. Francis Darlong, said: “A clash between two political parties took place today. This afternoon some members of a political party came here to campaign, but some goons

allegedly attacked them. Fifteen bikes and a car were burnt. We are investigating the matter. The situation is now under control and we have deployed adequate forces at the spot.”