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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Akhil released after ‘arrest’

Akhil released after ‘arrest’

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published Published on Apr 11, 2011   modified Modified on Apr 11, 2011

Peasant leader and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi’s long drawn campaign against corruption reached a crescendo today with police detaining him for violating Section 144 while taking out a procession in support of Anna Hazare’s movement for the new Lok Pal Bill. He was later released.

Hundreds of people spilled onto the streets of Assam, particularly in Upper Assam, today after police detained the RTI activist.

Akhil was first stopped in the middle of a news conference at the Guwahati Press Club at 11.35am. The police then detained him about 100 metres away in front of Dighalipukhuri.

Acting on instructions from the Kamrup district electoral officer J. Bajali, additional superintendent (city) Longnit Terang and Kamrup district circle officer Pulak Mahanta stopped Akhil in the middle of the news conference for violation of Section 126 of Representation of People (RP) Act and later detained him on charges of violation of Section 144 CrPC, that has been clamped on the district in view of second phase of Assembly elections tomorrow.

“Akhil was detained as he took out a procession without permission and violation of Section 144 CrPC. It was a preventive step to ensure that nothing untoward happened before the elections,” Balaji told The Telegraph.

Assam’s chief electoral officer Hemanta Narzary said Akhil’s news conference was stopped as he violated Section 126 of the act and made political statements regarding the election. “According to the section, no organisation or political party can publicly make statements in favour or against any party or candidate after the end of campaigning. However, Akhil was criticising a particular political party. So, his news conference was stopped,” Narzary said.

In the brief time he got at the news conference, Akhil, also the secretary of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity (KMSS), an NGO, once again lambasted the Congress-led Tarun Gogoi government for alleged corruption.

As Akhil and about 100 of his supporters were taken to Panbazar police station, supporters across the state blocked roads, shouted slogans and demanded his immediate release. “We were taking out a peaceful procession in support of Anna Hazare but the police stopped us. This is an attack on a democratic movement,” Akhil said, amid anti-government slogans by his supporters.

The police and Kamrup district administration officials had a harrowing time as Akhil and 10 other KMSS leaders sat on an indefinite hunger strike on the compound of the police station protesting “illegal detention” and seeking apology from the administration.

Soon hundreds of people, social activists, intellectuals, students and political party leaders arrived to lend support, with many holding banners and posters demanding Akhil’s immediate release.

Former vice-chancellor of Gauhati University Debo Prasad Baruah, who rushed to the place, criticised the government. “Akhil has been leading a peaceful mass movement against corruption and other public issues but today’s incident is highly condemnable. How can a government stop a peaceful public movement? Most of the ministers in the state government are my ex-students and I appeal to them to stop harassing the social activist and his supporters.”

As the number of protesters swelled, Kamrup district election officer J. Balaji, who is also the Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner, and senior police officers had a tough time tackling the crowd and Akhil was released. However, he refused to go saying the government would first have to apologise for the wrongful and undemocratic detention.

Peace was restored after Balaji promised an inquiry into the matter by the district administration.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who was in Jorhat, asked the administration to immediately release the RTI activist.

As soon as he was released, Akhil once again went on a padyatra through different areas of the city condemning the Congress government.

“This is the end of Congress rule,” he said, standing atop a vehicle after coming out of the police station here.

Around 100 people, mostly KMSS activists, blocked the Chapakhowa-Roing Road at Hospital Charali in Chapakhowa town in Sadiya subdivision in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district and demanded the immediate release of Akhil.

The All Assam Tai Ahom Students’ Union condemned the incident while more than 400 KMSS activists and several other organisations blocked the busy AT road at Baruah Chariali in Jorhat to protest against Akhil’s detention.

The Paresh Barua-led faction of Ulfa, too, condemned Akhil’s detention and termed it “undemocratic”. “Akhil Gogoi has been fighting for the interest of the indigenous people and his procession had no political purpose. His detention cannot be accepted,” Arunodoy Dohotia, leader of group’s publicity cell, said.

The AASU also condemned the incident and charged that the administrative machinery was working in support of the Congress.

BJP MLA from Dibrugarh, Prasanta Phukan, who rushed to the spot, blamed the ruling Congress for “illegal detention” of Akhil. “It was a democratic protest and his detention was an attack on democracy,” he said.

Kamal Jain, a trader at Fancy Bazar, said, “Akhil is fighting against corruption and we came out spontaneously to support him. The entire country is concerned over corruption and we are with Akhil in his movement.”

The Telegraph, 11 April, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110411/jsp/northeast/story_13837241.jsp


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