GUWAHATI, Dec 18: A Congress worker allegedly died and several others sustained injuries due to “tear gas smoke” during a protest on Wednesday against a range of issues, including unrest in Manipur and bribery charges against Adani Group, the party claimed.
A senior police officer, however, said the exact reason for the death would be known after the post-mortem examination report came and denied that anyone was injured in the incident.
Police and Congress supporters were engaged in a scuffle, in which Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora fell on the ground, and were detained. They were released later.
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Congress Legal Cell member Advocate Mridul Islam (45) felt suffocated when a tear gas cell fell near him, the party spokesperson Bedabrat Bora claimed.
“He was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital and then to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He was declared dead there,” he added.
After visiting the GMCH, Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah said, “The tear gas shells were not fired. Police only rolled three shells on the road so that smoke would come out and people would disperse.”
Several media persons, including senior journalist Amarendra Deka and his camera person, were injured and were being treated at the GMCH, the Congress spokesperson said.
“Around 10 people were injured and they are receiving treatment at GMCH. In my political career, I have never seen such a huge and ruthless police presence to stop a democratic protest, which was going to submit a memorandum only,” he added.
According to visuals on local media channels, the Congress chief and a few of the protesters were apparently pushed over the barricades by the police while they were trying to cross over.
The police commissioner said the Congress did not even seek permission for the ‘Raj Bhavan gherao’ protest, in which over 1,000 people took part.
“We had deployed an adequate number of police personnel and erected three barricades. The protestors broke two barricades and went to the third one. There was no lathi charge or force used. Only we rolled the tear gas shells,” Barah said.
He claimed that the magisterial inquest conducted on the deceased found no external injury and “the exact reason will be known only after the post-mortem examination report comes”.
The Congress on Tuesday had formally intimated the Guwahati Police Commissioner about the protest programme and it was duly received by his office. A copy of the signed receipt is available with PTI.
The opposition party took out the protest march as part of a nationwide programme. They marched against ethnic clashes in Manipur, bribery charges against the business conglomerate Adani Group and installation of ‘smart meters’ for electricity connections in Assam.
The Congress, meanwhile, filed a complaint at Latasil police station against the death of Islam due to “excessive use of tear gas” and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
Terming it as a “homicidal death amounting to murder”, the party sought compensation for the family of the deceased. (PTI)
