GUWAHATI, Dec 20: Top Assam Congress leaders, including state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, were taken into police custody, and the party’s youth wing national chief Uday Bhanu Chib was placed under preventive detention in Guwahati on Friday ahead of a planned ‘protest’ over the death of a party worker two days ago.
The opposition party, however, maintained that it had no agitation plan for the day and had instead organised an all-faith prayer meeting in memory of its leader Mridul Islam, who died during a ‘Raj Bhawan Chalo’ programme on Wednesday to protest various issues, including unrest in Manipur and alleged bribery charges against the Adani Group.
Chib, who arrived here on Thursday, was placed under preventive detention at the hotel while the other leaders were taken into custody from different locations as they were on their way to attend a party programme.
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Borah was released from custody in the evening but was taken back to the Assam Police 10th Battalion office within minutes. Chib remained under detention in his hotel.
“The Youth Congress had planned a ‘Dispur gherao’ programme, and Chib was here to participate in the event. But we cannot allow such a programme. He has been put under preventive detention and told that he cannot leave the hotel,” Guwahati police commissioner Diganta Barah told PTI.
However, state Youth Congress president Zubair Anam denied such a programme. He said, “Chib was here to participate in the all-faith prayer meeting, organised at the party’s city office, Manabendra Sarma Complex in Dispur.”
Anam added, “Our party leadership had decided to postpone all agitational programmes for three days because of Islam’s death. Accordingly, our ‘Dispur gherao’ programme, which was scheduled for Thursday, did not take place. Our members were to participate only in the all-faith prayer meeting and offer ‘shraddhanjali’ to Islam.”
Anam, who was not allowed to meet Chib at the hotel in the morning, said the IYC national president was still in detention.
State Youth Congress activists gathered in front of the hotel since morning and raised slogans demanding the release of their leader. They also alleged that Chib had not been given access to his lawyer and that his mobile phone had been confiscated by police.
State party president Bhupen Borah, former president Ripun Bora, and several other leaders were detained near Hatigaon police station, about 4 km from the state capital Dispur, as they were en route to the Manabendra Sarma Complex.
Anam said, “They were coming to participate in the all-faith prayer meeting but were stopped midway and taken into police custody.”
Police commissioner Barah was present at the site and was seen putting Congress president Borah inside a vehicle.
Authorities had earlier imposed prohibitory orders in the Dispur area, preventing any gatherings, an officer said.
Anam said, “We had no agitation planned. But heavy security deployment to thwart any democratic protest and the arrest of our leaders angered us, and we came to the streets to protest it.”
The Youth Congress members broke through police barricades and raised slogans against the BJP government. As the police prevented them from proceeding further, they squatted on the road.
The members were later taken into police custody and held at different locations, including the 10th Assam Police Battalion premises, along with the senior leaders.
A party leader said that although all detained persons had signed bonds for release, they had not yet been set free. (PTI)
