Congress protester’s death: Police cite pre-existing health issues, await post-mortem

Guwahati, Dec 18: A Congress worker died during the party's “Raj Bhavan Chalo” protest in Guwahati on Wednesday, sparking controversy over the circumstances surrounding his death.

Guwahati Commissioner of Police, Diganta Barah, confirmed that Mridul Islam, a resident of Boko, was already unwell prior to the protest and did not sustain any external injuries.

"During our initial investigation, we found that Islam was already sick. After his associates learned of his condition, they took him to Wintrobe hospital in Ambari, from where he was referred to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared dead," Barah said.

The Commissioner confirmed that the body has been sent for a post-mortem, with the cause of death to be confirmed after the report.

Commissioner Barah also added that the Congress party did not seek permission for the protest.

“The members of Congress did not take or received any permission to stage a protest in the city. The workers and supporters assembled at a field near Uzan Bazar, close to the Raj Bhawan. We had placed a barricade to control the crowd,” Barah said.

According to Barah, when the protesters crossed the barricades and advanced towards the Raj Bhawan, the police refrained from using force.

“Despite the protesters crossing the first and second barricades, we refrained from using extreme measures. There was no lathi charge or tear gas. We only rolled in a few tear gas shells without firing them. The protesters were stopped at the third barricade, and eventually, the protest was called off," he said.

However, hours after Barah's statement, the Congress party released an application addressed to the Commissioner of Police, claiming they had sought permission for the protest.

Earlier in the day, the incident occurred during a Congress demonstration that started around 11 am, with protesters chanting slogans like "BJP go back," "Adani, down down," and "Remove smart meters".

Thousands of Congress supporters had gathered at a field near the Raj Bhavan to participate in the nationwide "Raj Bhavan Chalo" protest, voicing opposition on issues ranging from smart meters and corruption allegations against the Adani Group to the Manipur issue and the proposed "One Nation, One Election" Bill.

Later, several senior Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia, APCC Chief Bhupen Borah, and senior leader Ripun Bora, were taken into custody. Multiple protesters were also reportedly detained and transported to an undisclosed police station.

The protest, which had drawn a large crowd, ended with tension and confusion over the cause of Islam's death, raising concerns among party leaders and supporters. The Congress has demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.