TMC delegation to leave for Tripura to meet I-PAC team ‘confined’ by police

A three-member team of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) will leave for Tripura on Wednesday to meet members of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) allegedly confined to a hotel by police in the north-eastern state. The TMC renewed its contract with I-PAC, the company launched by election strategist Prashant Kishor, till the 2024 Lok Sabha polls after helping it win the March-April Bengal assembly elections. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee wants to see her party play a bigger role in national politics.

At least 23 members of I-PAC were on Monday asked to stay inside a hotel in Agartala till their Covid-19 test reports arrive, the Tripura police have said.

West Bengal minister Bratya Basu insisted the I-PAC members have been detained. “I think the situation is not right there. Democracy is being violated. To take stock of the situation, I along with Moloy Ghatak, state law minister, and TMC leader Ritabrata Banerjee would go there.”

The I-PAC members arrived in Tripura last week to assess the TMC’s potential to expand its base in the north-eastern state where polls are due in 2023. The Bharatiya Janata Party heads the government in Tripura.

The Tripura police said some of the I-PAC members were found moving around amid Covid-19 curfew and all of them underwent Covid-19 tests on Monday and were asked to stay inside a hotel until they get clearance from the health department.

Banerjee on Tuesday said I-PAC workers went to Tripura and were put under “house arrest”. This should not be done, she added.

Samik Bhattacharya, a BJP spokesman in West Bengal, said it is entirely the Tripura government’s decision. “Only the Tripura government can comment...” He added TMC has contested elections in Tripura and was rejected. “Why is the chief minister (Banerjee) giving statements when workers of an agency have gone to Tripura? She could have given reaction had her party workers faced any problem.”