Agartala, Nov 15: A group threw stones at the vehicle of a CPI-M leader and the Zilla Parishad chief of South Tripura district on Thursday at Belonia town in the state and 17 people, including 10 police personnel were injured when the force intervened to stop them, police said.

South Tripura superintendent of police J S Meena said he is not aware whether the attackers belonged to any political party and the South Tripura zilla sabhadhipati Himanshu Roy escaped unhurt.

A group of about 100 miscreants pelted stones at the vehicle of the zilla sabhadhipati (parishad chief) at Belonia, about 110 km from here and police had to resort to lathi charge in which seven attackers were injured, he said.

Ten force personnel were injured in the stone pelting, he said.

The CPI-M has alleged that the attackers were ruling BJP activists and they attacked Roy with a political motive.

"BJP-backed miscreants were behind the attack. The BJP is aiming to grab the South Tripura zilla parishad which is controlled by CPI-M and with this motive they are trying to created a fear psychosis", party secretary for Belonia sub-division Tapas Dutta said.

BJP spokesman Ashok Sinha said, We are yet to confirm what had happened.

The SP said most of the injured were released from hospital after first aid and a few are still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

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Udupi: Most Rev. Dr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza was consecrated as the second Archbishop of the Diocese of Udupi at a ceremony held at the Milagres College Grounds of Milagres Cathedral in Kalianpur on Monday.

The rite of consecration was performed by Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, President of the FABC and CCBI, as the principal consecrator. Archbishop Dr. Peter Machado of the Archdiocese of Bangalore and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Udupi, Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, participated as co-consecrators.

The Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, along with more than 30 bishops, around 300 priests, an equal number of nuns, and thousands of devotees from different parts of the country, attended the ceremony.

The official letter of appointment from the Pope was read out during the ceremony. This was followed by the sacred rites of consecration, during which the Archbishop’s head was anointed with holy oil, the Holy Bible was placed on his head, and prayers were offered. He was then presented with the ring of authority, mitre, and pastoral staff, and formally installed, marking his ordination as Archbishop.

Fr. Steven D’Souza, Chancellor of the Diocese of Udupi, read the official letter of the Holy Father. The ceremony also included the exchange of the sign of peace among bishops and representatives.

In his homily, Bishop of Mangalore Diocese, Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, said that the blessings of the Father are invaluable. He noted that in today’s society, the presence of a father figure is often lacking in many families and emphasised that bishops serve as representatives of the Most High in the family of God. He said that God has chosen his representative for the Udupi Diocese through Fr. Leslie and stressed that bishops must spread the word of God among devotees with love, adding that preaching the essence of the Gospel is a key responsibility.