BJP Using Law as a Weapon to Silence Assam’s Journalists: Hiren Gohain

Renowned intellectual and scholar Dr. Hiren Gohain has strongly condemned the arrest of Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar, calling it an alarming sign of arbitrary rule in Assam. Gohain asserted that the incident is not merely about targeting an individual journalist but a broader attack on press freedom and democracy in the state.

“This is not just an issue for Assam’s media fraternity—it concerns the entire political landscape of Assam,” Gohain remarked. “The BJP leadership in the state, under the garb of governance, is allowing a single person to function as an arbitrary ruler, deciding the fate of Assam. This is an extremely dangerous precedent.”

Gohain further alleged that Mazumdar’s arrest was not based on any legal rationale but was a deliberate attempt to harass and intimidate both journalists and the people of Assam. “Crime and corruption are rampant in our country, yet the police turn a blind eye. Instead, they are selectively targeting individuals who challenge the establishment, trapping them under false charges,” he stated.

Taking a direct swipe at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks, Gohain criticized the narrative that Mazumdar was arrested for ‘document theft.’ “A journalist has the right to investigate government corruption, even if it means discreetly acquiring documents to expose wrongdoing. However, the Chief Minister portrays this as if Mazumdar stormed into an office with weapons, intimidating officials and forcibly seizing documents. This is nothing but an example of using the law as a tool for authoritarian rule.”

The arrest of Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar has sparked outrage among journalists and civil rights activists, who view it as yet another instance of the state attempting to silence dissenting voices. 

ALSO READ: BREAKING: Dilwar Hussain Mazumdar Granted Bail by CJM Court