GUWAHATI: Former Tripura Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman was injured in an attack perpetrated allegedly by ruling BJP workers.
Barman is the Congress' Agartala candidate in the June 23 by-elections to four Assembly constituencies. He was attacked allegedly with bricks and sticks and admitted to a private hospital.
The incident occurred in the wee hours of Monday when Barman and state Youth Congress president Rakhu Das went to Ujan Abhoynagar area after learning about an incident of assault on a Congress supporter. The former minister had not taken along his security guards.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the "brutal attack by BJP members".
"Congress party demands that the culprits be immediately brought to book for free and fair elections to be held," Gandhi wrote on Facebook.
The state Congress said the BJP targeted Roy Barman as he had more or less won from the seat. The BJP rubbished the Congress' charges. It claimed Barman had suddenly fallen down and there was no political violence.
On May 2, a security staff and the driver of Barman were injured after being attacked by bike-borne miscreants outside the house of an advocate. Barman had escaped unhurt.
The ex-health minister ditched the BJP a few months ago after falling out with the then Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.