The Tripura chapter of the All India Services Association (AISA) on Thursday strongly condemned the remarks made by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) and CPI (M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury against the Superintendent of Police (SP) of South Tripura district during a protest rally at Rajnagar. The association demanded that Chaudhury issue an unconditional public apology.
The controversy stems from a CPI (M) protest rally held in Rajnagar on Wednesday, organized to protest the murder of party leader Badal Shil. During the programme, a confrontation reportedly took place between CPI (M) leaders and police over the movement of the rally, following which Chaudhury allegedly made offensive remarks against the district SP.
While, speaking with media on Thursday, Chaudhury alleged that the ruling BJP, with the support of the police administration, deliberately created obstacles to their democratic protest.
He claimed that despite obtaining valid permission to hold the rally, police intentionally prevented the procession from proceeding.
"Immediately after the incident, I spoke to the Director General of Police (DGP), who assured me that the matter would be looked into. However, the South Tripura SP did not answer my calls," Chaudhury said.
He admitted that the remarks he made against the SP "in the heat of the moment" were inappropriate. However, he refused to tender an unconditional apology, instead alleging that Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and the district SP were responsible for obstructing the party's democratic rights.
Meanwhile, in a press statement, AISA described the remarks against an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer performing official duties as contrary to constitutional values and institutional dignity.
The association stated that the South Tripura SP has been discharging his responsibilities in accordance with the law and that personal attacks on officers on duty undermine public confidence in democratic institutions while adversely affecting the morale of police and civil service personnel.
While acknowledging that public representatives have every right to criticise government policies, AISA said such criticism must remain respectful and within the bounds of democratic decorum.
The statement also expressed concern over what it described as a growing trend of making baseless allegations against government officials without credible evidence, warning that such actions damage both the dignity of public institutions and the morale of officials.
AISA urged Chaudhury to withdraw his remarks and issue an unconditional public apology. It also appealed to all public representatives, irrespective of political affiliation, to uphold mutual respect, civility and the dignity of democratic institutions.
The incident occurred after a memorial meeting for late CPI(M) leader Badal Shil was held under the jurisdiction of Puran Rajbari Police Station in South Tripura district on Wednesday. Although police had granted permission for the event, a dispute reportedly arose over the movement of the protest rally while participants were returning from the venue, leading to an altercation between CPI(M) supporters and the police. The subsequent remarks made by Chaudhury against the district SP have since drawn strong criticism from the AISA Tripura chapter.