The Tripura unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has demanded measures to prevent disturbances in Higher Secondary examination centres following a controversy over the unauthorised entry of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA into an examination hall. While the BJP has not officially commented on the incident at Boxanagar in Sonamura of Sepahijala district, party leaders have described the MLA’s actions as “unintentional but avoidable”.
ABVP leaders on Wednesday (February 25, 2025) met with officials of the Tripura Board of Secondary Education, which is conducting the Matriculation, Higher Secondary, and Madrassa final examinations, to demand the smooth conduct of examinations, and to provide necessary facilities for students. They, however, did not mention the incident involving the BJP MLA.
The BJP MLA, Tafajjal Hossain, was elected in a byelection in 2023 after the demise of a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MLA. The CPI(M) and Congress have questioned Mr. Hossain’s election, accusing the BJP of “mass rigging” of the byelection, which has been denied by the saffron party.
The Congress’s student wing, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had earlier lodged a complaint with the State Education Director, N.C. Sharma, against Mr. Hossain for “disrupting exam” at the centre in Boxanagar. They have also demanded an investigation into the MLA’s unauthorised entry, and his interaction with the students taking the exam.
The MLA was not available for comment, but some party leaders said he went to the exam centre with “good intentions” and to “wish the students good luck”.
