AGARTALA, July 10 - Thousands of Indigenous People�s Front of Tripura (IPFT) supporters on Monday blockaded Assam-Agartala National Highway (NH) and railway track at Khamthingbari in West Tripura district cutting the State off from the rest of the country.
However, there was no report of untoward incident during the road and rail blockade demanding Twipraland, a separate State comprising areas under Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
The blockade began at 6 am today as thousands of IPFT supporters put a siege on the NH and railway track. Although road traffic has been diverted via Agartala-Khowai-Teliamura Road, the rail service came to a complete halt due to the blockade.
In order to avoid any untoward incident, the NF Railway has suspended rail services causing inconvenience to the commuters.
Security forces have been deployed in and around Khamthingbari where around 8,000 IPFT supporters joined the blockade programme. SP, West district, Abhijit Saptarshi said, �The situation is peaceful along the national highway and we are keeping an eye on the situation�.
NC Debbarma, president of IPFT said, �We are hopeful there will be no untoward incident during the blockade programme. We had a meeting with top police officials and discussed the issue. We are in favour of a peaceful observance of the blockade�, he told the media.
However, the ruling CPI (M) sees red in the IPFT backed rail-road blockade for indefinite period demanding Twipraland. �The IPFT had called the blockade programme after a meeting in Prime Minister�s Office (PMO) in Delhi on June 15. It means the BJP has fueled IPFT�s attempt to divide the State�, CPI(M) central committee member Gautam Das had said in a press conference recently.
