On July 15, 2025, Bajrang Dal activists in Agartala staged a heated protest at Radhanagar bus stand, where they garlanded, slapped with slippers, and set fire to an effigy of senior CPI(M) leader Sankar Prasad Dutta. The demonstration was in response to Dutta’s controversial remarks about Lord Hanuman during a July 13 speech at a Tripura Motor Sramik Union event. Dutta, a former MP and CITU state general secretary, called Lord Hanuman a “shanda marka” (muscleman), alleging auto drivers were coerced into displaying his portrait to avoid harassment. The statement ignited outrage among Hindu groups.

Chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” the activists demanded an unconditional apology from Dutta. Bajrang Dal’s state in-charge, Tutan Das, urged Dutta to visit a local Hanuman temple and recite the Hanuman Chalisa as penance. “His comments insulted Hindu sentiments,” Das told reporters. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), led by Tripura West district president Apurba Kumar Das, threatened statewide agitation if Dutta does not apologize.

BJP Yuva Morcha state president Sushanta Deb led a separate rally, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa at a temple in Melarmath, near CPI(M)’s state headquarters. Efforts to contact CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury and West district secretary Ratan Das for comments were unsuccessful. The controversy continues to escalate tensions in Tripura as calls for an apology intensify.

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