Guwahati: Bhupen Borah Among Congress Leaders Detained as Protest Turns Heated

The Congress party's protest in Dispur turned heated today as party workers attempted to gherao the Janata Bhawan in Guwahati. The protest saw heavy intervention from fully-geared Assam Police, who quickly moved in to block the protesters.

During the agitation, several party leaders, including Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Bhupen Borah and senior leader Ripun Bora, were detained by the police. Both the leaders, along with other party workers, were taken away in a police vehicle as the protest continued.

As police chased and detained protesters, a group of Congress workers defied the police by sitting on the road in protest. The situation further escalated when party members got involved in a standoff with the police in front of the Janata Bhawan as some protesters attempted to break through the police barricades and bypass them.

The protest, which has been ongoing, is focused on seeking justice for Mridul Islam, a Congress worker who died during tear gas shelling by Assam police on Wednesday. Party leaders and workers continue to march towards the Janata Bhawan in defiance of police efforts to control the situation.

Meanwhile, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) President Uday Bhanu Chib, who had arrived in Guwahati to join the protest, was detained at the hotel where he was staying. Assam Police reportedly prevented him from leaving the premises.

In a statement issued by the IYC President’s office, Chib condemned the action, saying, "This morning, I and other Youth Congress colleagues were detained from a hotel in Guwahati as if we were terrorists. Our mobile phones have been confiscated. We came here to seek justice for martyr Mridul Islam, but the murderous Assam Police will not accept this."

The IYC has accused the Assam Police of preventive custody, claiming that the leaders were detained ahead of a planned protest over Mridul Islam's death. The statement continued, "What is Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hiding who got Congress worker Mridul Islam murdered? Under which law were they arrested like terrorists after barging into the hotel at 5 in the morning?"

Also Read: Guwahati: Congress Slams Assam Police for Detaining Leaders in 'Terrorist-Like' Manner