Agartala (Tripura): Issuing clarification on the detention of 23 members associated with election analyst Prashant Kishor's Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Agartala, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb on Thursday said the police did their job as with Independence day approaching, there is a need to check who all are entering the state.
"All are welcome in Tripura. But we don't interfere in police work. Police have done their job. This is a bordering state and August 15 is coming, so they have to see who all are coming (to the state)," said Deb.
Earlier on Thursday, an Agartala Court granted Bail to all detained I-PAC members against whom an FIR has been lodged under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 51 (1) (b) of the National Disaster Management Act.
Earlier on Monday, Tripura Police detained a team of 23 members of Prashant Kishor's I-PAC at Hotel Woodland Park in Agartala "They are being interrogated and have been warned by Police not to leave the hotel except for going to the airport to leave the state," sources told ANI.
The police have not given any official reason for the detention. However, according to Manik Das, Superintendent of Police (SP) West Tripura, the team was in the state "for some research-related work".
On Wednesday, all the 23 members of Kishor's team, which according to Tripura police was under 'quarantine' in Agartala hotel for 48 hours have obtained negative results of RT-PCR tests, informed a member from the I-PAC team. Notably, Assembly polls in Tripura are scheduled to be held in 2023.
