AGARTALA - Over 400 Congress activists were arrested in Tripura Tuesday as they tried to enfore a 12-hour shutdown in parts of the state to protest an alleged attack on their legislator by cadres of the ruling the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), police said.

Many shops and businesses establishments, government offices and educational institutions remained closed, while traffic was thin in Sabroom and Sonamura sub-divisions in south and western Tripura, according to police.

“The shutdown was more or less total and successful,” said opposition Congress leader Ratanlal Nath.

Police arrested from various parts of the two districts over 400 Congress supporters who tried to enforce the dawn to dusk strike, said police spokesman Nepal Das.

The Congress alleged that CPI-M cadres attacked their legislator Subal Bhowmik Sunday.

Talking to newsmen in Agartala, Bhowmik alleged that the CPI-M leaders, with the help of the administration, had forcibly taken the possession of a plot of land belonging to three poor tribal families.

“While I was talking to the affected tribal families, the Left party cadres attacked me and Congress workers accompanying me,” Bhowmik said.

The ruling CPI-M alleges that the Congress legislator tried to prevent National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) work at Sabroom and assaulted the labourers, injuring six of them.

“The Congress legislator and his associates managed to escape when the NREGA workers tried to retaliate,” a CPI-M spokesman added.

Meanwhile, opposition leader Ratanlal Nath sought the governor’s intervention to provide security to opposition leaders, legislators and workers.