An Assam government-appointed advisory board on Saturday confirmed that anti-corruption campaigner and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi would remain under arrest for up to 12 months from the day he was first detained under the National Security Act.
Gogoi, a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government, was arrested on September 13 on charges of sedition. He was booked under the National Security Act 11 days later, and has been in Dibrugarh Central Jail since then.
The Assam government had in October formed the advisory board, headed by retired Gauhati High Court judge PG Aggarwal, to investigate if there were enough reasons to keep Gogoi detained under the National Security Act, The Wire had reported. Arrests made under the National Security Act are confirmed by the government based on recommendations of an advisory board, consisting of former or current High Court judges.
Earlier this week, the All India Kishan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, consisting over 150 farmers’ organisations, said it would begin a national campaign to demand Gogoi’s immediate release. A campaign called “Release Akhil Gogoi” will be launched on Monday during the committee’s meeting in New Delhi, according to The Wire.
Gogoi was arrested from Golaghat city for a speech about an armed struggle in Assam’s Moran town. He was also accused of spreading religious animosity. During his speech, Gogoi is believed to have said that if Hindu migrants from Bangladesh were forced upon Assam, people from the state would be forced to take up arms.
In 2016, the Union government had proposed to amend the Citizenship Act to grant citizenship to people without valid documents belonging to minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of residence in India.
Accusations against the state government
Before his arrest, Gogoi had addressed a number of public gatherings when he accused the ruling BJP of spreading the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s agenda in the state. He rebuked the state’s decision to name colleges in the state after former Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya.
Gogoi had been leading an agitation against the government’s handling of the farming crisis in Assam. He was also fighting against the building of dams, land mafia and corruption in public life, The Wire reported. In 2012, he collaborated with Anna Hazare who supported his organisation’s move to block equipment meant for the construction of the Subansiri Lower Dam.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!