Internet Services Suspended, Paramilitary Forces Deployed in Tripura Amid Protests Against Citizenship Bill

Agartala: Internet services remained suspended for the second day and paramilitary forces along with Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel were deployed on Wednesday in some districts of Tripura, which was rocked by anti-CAB violence, officials said.

The Congress has called a shutdown in the state on Thursday after party workers were injured in baton charge by the TSR when they took out a torch rally here in protest aginst the Bill. Two journalists of the electronic media were also allegedly injured in the incident.

The internet services will remain suspended till Thursday, the officials said. Train and bus services were also suspended, they added. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has appealed to the

protestors to maintain peace and said that "Doors are open for discussion".

"Please maintain peace and tranquility in the state," he said at a press conference here. A team of the anti-CAB Joint Movement Against Citizenship Amendment Bill is scheduled to meet the chief minister later this evening, he said.

Deb denied that the Army has been deployed in the trouble-torn Kanchanpur subdivision in North Tripura district and at Manu in Dhalai district. An Army spokesperson has said in Shillong that one

column each have been deployed in Kanchanpur and Manu.

He said Assam Rifles personnel were positioned at Manu and the BSF and CRPF have been deployed at Bishramganj area of Sipahijala district, Kalabagan in West Tripura and Kamalpur in Dhalai district.

TSR personnel were deployed along with them, he added.

Tripura was rocked by anti-CAB protests on Tuesday after the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. An ailing baby died on way to the hospital as the ambulance carrying her was stuck in a road blockade at Bishramganj where about 15 people were injured in the clash.

There was violence between tribals and non-tribals at Kanchanpur and Manughat Bazar in Dhalai district after the passage of the Bill, which seeks to grant Indian citizenship to religious minorities of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who are fleeing persecution there.