Guwahati, Dec 20: Over 100 leaders and workers of the Assam Congress were detained by city police on Friday during protests against the alleged Adani bribery scandal and the death of Congress worker Mridul Islam. The protest rally began at the Manabendra Sarma Complex in Dispur but was quickly interrupted by police action.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) organized a tribute event for Mridul Islam, who died during a police action on December 18, while the Assam Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) planned a “Dispur Gherao” protest to demand a judicial inquiry into his death.
Prominent Congress leaders, including APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, former APCC president Ripun Borah, MLA Diganta Barman, and Indian Youth Congress (IYC) national president Uday Bhanu Chib, were among those detained. They were arrested from various locations across the city in the early hours of Friday.
Bhupen Kumar Borah and APCC working president Jakir Hussain Sikdar were taken to the 10th APBN headquarters at Kahilipara, while Debabrata Saikia was held at Sarusajai. Ripun Borah and APCC social media head Ratul Kalita were detained at the Basistha police station. IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib was placed in “preventive detention” at a city hotel on RG Baruah Road.
Expressing outrage, Chib stated, “This morning, I and other Youth Congress colleagues were detained from a hotel in Guwahati as if we were terrorists. Our mobile phones were confiscated. We came here seeking justice for martyr Mridul Islam, but the Assam Police’s actions reflect their disregard for democratic rights.”
Chib also questioned the Chief Minister’s intentions, asking, “What is Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma trying to hide? Who ordered the killing of Congress worker Mridul Islam? Under what law were we arrested like criminals at 5 a.m.?”
The unrest stems from the death of Mridul Islam during the December 18 “Raj Bhawan Chalo” rally, which was organized to protest issues such as unrest in Manipur, bribery allegations against the Adani Group, and the controversial installation of smart meters in Assam.
The city police had earlier registered a suo-moto case related to the law-and-order situation during the December 18 protest. Despite being released briefly at 5:30 p.m., Bhupen Kumar Borah was re-detained at the 10th APBN gate.
APCC spokesperson Bedabrata Borah accused the Chief Minister of attempting to suppress dissent through intimidation. “Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma has exposed his cowardice by targeting peaceful protesters and stifling democratic movements,” he said.
The Congress condemned the arrests and prohibitory orders as an attack on democratic rights. APCC President Bhupen Kumar Borah stated, “We were peacefully heading towards Janata Bhawan to demand justice and a judicial inquiry, but the police detained us to silence our voices.”
Later APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the Congress’s protests would persist despite the government’s attempts to suppress dissent. “The protest will continue. We are not scared of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s threats. On Monday, there will be protests in every district headquarters,” Borah stated.
He accused the government of barring peaceful demonstrations near the Janata Bhawan. “They detained us because they don’t want anyone near Janata Bhawan. They’ve turned it into a ‘Police Bhawan,’” Borah said.
Responding to the Chief Minister’s remarks about internal competition among Congress leaders to impress Rahul Gandhi, Borah retorted that Himanta Biswa Sarma should recall his own actions to become Chief Minister. “Sarmasurpassed then Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal by orchestrating the deaths of five people during the anti-CAA protests in Assam,” Borah alleged.
The Congress leader further criticized the BJP’s double standards on protests. “When Congress was in power, BJP leaders protested without facing harassment. Prasanta Phukan once rode a bullock cart to the assembly to protest against LPG price hikes, and Bijoya Chakravorty protested outside Janata Bhawan with dead bodies after the October 30 terror attack. What lessons are they trying to teach us now? We have nothing to learn from them,” he remarked.
Borah reiterated the Congress’s demand to halt the installation of smart meters in Assam, citing allegations of corruption. “We will stop protesting if he halts the smart meter installations. Why are there no smart meters in Tripura, Bihar, or Chhattisgarh? Why only Assam? There’s a ₹4,000 crore scam behind this scheme,” he alleged.
Borah also called on the Chief Minister to provide support for the family of Mridul Islam, the Congress worker who died during the protests. “I will write a letter to the CM seeking a job for Mridul Islam’s widow. He left behind two minor daughters. If the CM has even the minimum humanity, he will ensure a job for her,” Borah added.
