New Delhi [India], August 2 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday alleged that the Assam government had misused 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 termed the move a “blatant misuse of preventive detention laws”.
“On 30 July, 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.
https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2083797606162124819
He further said, “Doley has been arrested for supporting villagers who protested against a proposed five-star resort near the Kaziranga National Park that the Assam Chief Minister had backed.”
The Congress leader said indigenous residents of Golaghat had been protesting against the project since 2022 and had also approached the Gauhati High Court, arguing that their land was forcibly acquired.
Ramesh also referred to the Sessions Court’s order granting bail to Doley on July 29, quoting 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,” Ramesh alleged.
“Doley’s NSA detention order relies on vague and speculative allegations, including that Doley had engaged in “suspicious foreign transactions from doubtful sources”, which is the Modi government’s familiar script,” he said.
“The use of the NSA against Doley is part of a growing pattern of BJP governments weaponising extraordinary laws to silence dissent,” Ramesh added.
He also alleged that similar instances had occurred in Uttar Pradesh, where he claimed the NSA was invoked against labour activists protesting against exploitative working conditions in Noida.
“BJP governments across the country cannot suppress legitimate grievances of working-class, indigenous, and marginalised communities through arrests and draconian laws,” he said.
Ramesh further accused the Assam government of showing “utter disregard for the rule of law and for democratic dissent” and said the Supreme Court and several High Courts had repeatedly cautioned against using preventive detention laws to circumvent judicial orders granting bail or prolong incarceration.
Pranab Doley was arrested on July 12 in connection with a criminal case registered at Bokakhat Police Station following his protest against the proposed construction of luxury hotels in Kaziranga.
Doley had raised concerns over alleged land allocation at Ingle Pathar in Hatikhuli, Kaziranga, claiming that the land had been reclassified and allotted to a hospitality company. (ANI)
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