BREAKING: Jorhat activist arrested for hanging poster of KMSS Chief Akhil Gogoi

JORHAT: A wave of resentment on Friday swept across Jorhat in Upper Assam, where a Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Jorhat activist has been arrested for hanging a poster of the incarcerated peasant leader in demand of his release. Gogoi is currently serving a jail sentence for his role in the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Earlier today, activists of the KMSS and its student wing (Chhattra Mukti Sangram Samiti) congregated in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office to register their protest against the long incarceration of Akhil, who, his supporters claim, has been kept on "bogus" charges.

In the midst of their sloganeering for Akhil's release, one of the KMSS-affiliated activists -- Bhairav Bora -- was nabbed by police and whisked away to the station. Bora, however, before being put in the police jeep, yelled out that the "fascistic" tendencies of the ruling BJP-led Government would not be tolerated at any cost.

ALSO READ: Akhil Gogoi is no traitor: KMSS condemns “fascist Govt” for arresting artists who made activist’s portrait

"I have basically and practically been arrested for hanging up a poster demanding Akhil's release for prison," he told gathered media persons before he could be taken away.

His fellow protesters of the Jorhat activist continued with their protests, even as police officials reached the site -- in the very heart of the Upper Assam town -- to keep an eye.

This development comes on the heels of several KMSS-affiliated men being arrested in Guwahati city for drawing Gogoi's portrait on the walls of an overbridge in the Basistha area.

Street artists in Guwahati, Assam, were arrested for bringing attention to the incarceration of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi by painting a massive portrait of the activist on the wing wall of a bridge in Guwahati city’s Basistha area.

According to our sources, 4 artists and Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS) leader Pranjal Kalita were picked up moments earlier near the Nidhi Bhawan and taken to the Basistha Police Station. According to reports, the artists belong to a group called ‘Anga Art Collective.’ The mural painted by the artist shows Akhil — raising his fist in a symbol of protest – being surrounded by men in uniform carrying lathis.

Gogoi, the leader of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), was arrested on December 12, 2019, from Jorhat, during the height of the anti-CAA protests in the state, as a “preventive measure” in view of the deteriorating law and order situation and his three associates were taken into custody the next day.

To support our brand of fearless and investigative journalism, support us HERE.

Download:                                                                  

The Inside Northeast app HERE for News, Views, and Reviews from Northeast India.

Do keep following us for news on-the-go. We deliver the Northeast.