1,500 Congress activists detained in Tripura

Agartala: Over 1,500 Congress activists including party`s senior leaders were arrested on Friday after they participated in a civil disobedience movement in support of their 12-point demands.

"Around 15,000 Congress workers and leaders were arrested in different parts of the state. Police arrested them when the Congress men defies the police barricade," a police official said here.

The arrested leaders include Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha and state Youth Congress President Sushanta Choudhury. They were later released by police.

Six policemen also sustained minor injuries when the agitators clashed with the security personnel.

The opposition Congress organised the civil disobedience movement in support of its 12-point charter of demands, including withdrawal of demonetisation of high-value currency notes, probe by the CBI into collection of deposits from the people by the unauthorised chit fund companies and providing at least Rs 5,000 as monthly allowance to the unemployed youths of the state, among others.

A huge contingent of police and other security personnel, along with elite Tripura State Rifles troopers, were deployed in all the eight districts to prevent any untoward incident in connection with the civil disobedience movement.