Congress MP Jairam Ramesh slams Assam government over NSA detention of activist Pranab Doley

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on August 2 accused the Assam government of misusing the National Security Act (NSA) by invoking it against land rights activist Pranab Doley a day after a district court granted him bail.

In a post on X, Ramesh described the move as a "blatant misuse of preventive detention laws" and alleged that the state government had overstepped its authority.

"On July 30, the Assam government invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against land rights activist Pranab Doley, just a day after the District Court granted him bail. This is a blatant misuse of preventive detention laws and overreach by the state," Ramesh said.

He claimed that Doley was arrested for supporting villagers protesting against a proposed five-star resort near Kaziranga National Park, a project allegedly backed by the Assam government.

Ramesh said indigenous residents of Golaghat district have been opposing the project since 2022 and had approached the Gauhati High Court, alleging that their land was forcibly acquired.

Referring to the Sessions Court's July 29 bail order, Ramesh quoted the court as observing that "where ecological preservation intersects with indigenous survival, criminal law cannot be used to suppress legitimate local anxieties."

"It is clear that the Assam government invoked the NSA to do exactly that," he alleged.

The Congress leader further claimed that the detention order relied on "vague and speculative allegations," including accusations of "suspicious foreign transactions from doubtful sources."

Calling the move part of a wider pattern, Ramesh alleged that BJP governments have been using extraordinary laws to suppress dissent and cited similar instances in Uttar Pradesh.

He also accused the Assam government of showing "utter disregard for the rule of law and democratic dissent," adding that courts have repeatedly cautioned against using preventive detention laws to bypass judicial bail orders.

Pranab Doley was arrested on July 12 in connection with a case registered at Bokakhat Police Station following protests against the proposed construction of luxury hotels in the Kaziranga area. He had alleged that land at Ingle Pathar in Hatikhuli had been reclassified and allotted to a hospitality company.