I-PAC team members granted bail in Tripura; TMC MPs reach state

The 23 members of poll strategist Prashant Kishors IPAC team the alleged detention of which in the BJPruled Tripura led the Trinamool Congress to attack the saffron party surrendered before a local court on Thursday which granted them bailThe Indian Political Action Committee IPAC team has been camping in Agartala to assess the political situation and potential support base for the TMC The police allegedly detained them in a hotel citing Covid19 norms on Sunday nightSenior TMC leader and MP Derek OBrien who arrived in the state alleged that the central leadership of the BJP is behind the incidentAdditional Chief Judicial Magistrate S B Das granted bail to the IPAC team members who were summoned to appear before the police on August one following registration of an FIR against them on TuesdayThe police earlier said that the IPAC team members will have to remain inside the hotel until their test report for Covid19 is available The reports came negative on Tuesday nightTheir counsel Pijush Kanti Biswas said that a case against the state government will be filed for harassing themldquoThe IPAC team members arrived in the state with Covid negative reports But they were put under detention before the FIR was registered which amounts to harassmentrdquo Biswas saidAdditional Public Prosecutor Bidyut Sutradhar said a complaint was filed by the SubDivisional Magistrate Sadar against the team which was registered at East Agartala police station under Section 188 of IPC Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant and under the National Disaster Management ActldquoThe investigating officer served them notice to meet him on August one There was no apprehension of arrest But still they surrendered before the court prayed for bail and the court granted them bailrdquo Sutradhar told reportersSubDivisional Police Officer Sadar Ramesh Yadav said that as soon as the Covid test results of the 23 people came negative they were freed on Tuesday night itselfldquoThey were not detained but asked to stay in the hotel till the test reports are available After receiving the test reports some of them stepped out of the hotel on Wednesdayrdquo the police officer saidMeanwhile Derek OBrien senior Rajya Sabha MP of the TMC said that the IPAC team members hired by the party came here on a professional assignment and alleged that they were detained by the Tripura Police on directions of the central leadership of the BJPldquoWhat message did Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi give from Delhi They directed from Delhi to arrest the IPAC team members They are trying to impose the Gujarat model across Indiardquo OBrien saidHe claimed that Modi and Shah are not allowing opposition members to speak in Parliament and at the same time they are trying to silence the opposition voice hereHe said that the TMC leadership has asked some party MPs to come to Agartala from Delhi even when the Parliament session is onTMC MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar has arrived here on Thursday while party general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to reach Tripura on FridayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever