Several policemen sustained injuries during a clash between the security personnel and the agitators who held a protest rally against the recently enacted Waqf (Amendment) Act in northern Tripura's Kailashahar under Unakoti district on Saturday afternoon.
The protest, organized by the Kailashahar Joint Action Committee, began from Tilabazar and proceeded towards Kubjhar area as they did not get police permission and decided to organise it outside the municipal area.
However, upon reaching Kubjhar, the situation escalated allegedly after a shoe was thrown towards the rally, which then took an ugly turn and a clash with police personnel followed. Bricks, stones, and glass bottles were thrown at cops.
This left Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jayanta Karmakar, Police Inspector Jatindra Das, and several other officers injured.
The situation turned chaotic, forcing the police to resort to a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd. Protesters then fled the scene.
Police forces, including Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel and central paramilitary units, deployed in large numbers at the site included Kailashahar Police Station officer-in-charge Sukanta Sen Chowdhury, Irani Police Station OC Arundaya Das, and DSP Utpalendu Debnath.
Following the violence, the injured security personnel were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
In the aftermath, Unakoti District Superintendent of Police Sudhambika R and Northern Range DIG Rati Ranjan Debnath visited the area to assess the situation.
While the DIG later confirmed that the situation was under control, but some argument was seen between SP Sudhambika R and opposition Congress leader Md Badruzzaman who led the protest.
While DIG Rati Ranjan Debnath assured that peace had been restored in the area, protest leader Md Badruzzaman claimed that many protesters were injured due to police action and blamed the authorities for provoking the violence.
The incident has triggered fear and unrest across the Kailashahar subdivision, with police maintaining heightened vigil to prevent further disturbances.
President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, on April 5, as announced by the Law Ministry in a notification on the same day.
The Bill was recently passed by parliament after intense and lengthy debates in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The law seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders' rights.
