KMSS Leader Bidyut Saikia Warned by Assam Police Over Proposed Road Blockade

Merapani Police Station under Assam's Golaghat district has served a legal notice to Bidyut Saikia, general secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), warning him against organizing a road blockade on April 22 in protest against alleged land encroachment by Nagaland.

The notice, issued under Sections 168 and 171 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, directs Saikia to immediately withdraw the proposed agitation and cooperate in maintaining law and order during the ongoing Panchayat election period.

Citing judgments from the Supreme Court, Kerala High Court, and Gauhati High Court—including a 2019 order in case number W.P.(C) 7570/2013—the police termed road blockades illegal and unconstitutional. Saikia was warned that any damage to public or private property or injury to citizens during the protest would lead to strict legal action under BNSS 2023, the National Highway Act, 1956, the Railway Act, 1989, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

The notice follows renewed protests by Assamese farmers in the Merapani area after Nagaland claimed 1,300 acres of land in the Seedfarm region for oil palm cultivation. The move has triggered widespread anger after Nagaland officials reportedly carried out a covert inspection of the disputed site during the Bihu festival.

KMSS has been actively leading the resistance, demanding the return of what protesters call their ancestral land and accusing Nagaland of repeated encroachment attempts. Tensions remain high in the border region as the standoff continues.

Also Read: Fresh Protests Erupt in Merapani Over Land Dispute with Nagaland