Gaurav Gogoi criticises Assam govt over NSA invocation, says law cannot be used to silence dissent

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday, August 1, criticised the state government's use of the National Security Act (NSA), alleging that the law was being invoked to suppress dissent rather than address genuine threats to national security.

In a post on X, Gogoi said the NSA was intended to deal with grave threats to India's security and should not be used against social activists.

"NSA is meant for grave threats to India's security, not to cage social activists," he wrote.

Referring to the recent detention of social activist Pranab Doley under the NSA after he was granted bail, Gogoi alleged that the move reflected the government's intolerance towards dissent.

"A while ago, the Assam Chief Minister publicly threatened to use NSA to target artists over a Zubeen Garg mural. Now, slapping NSA on Pranab Doley after bail, despite global rights bodies and past Human Rights Watch warnings on its misuse in Assam, shows a government that does not allow dissent," Gogoi said.

The Congress leader's remarks come amid an ongoing political row over the invocation of the National Security Act against Doley.