GUWAHATI, June 24 � Reports of Akhil Gogoi�s supporters blocking the National Highway (NH)-37 at Garchuk and near Kaziranga National Park, in protest against his arrest, have been received.
According to sources in the city police, the supporters of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader withdrew their agitation at Gorchuk after around two hours of blocking the NH-37 that began from 5 pm.
Our Kohora Correspondent has reported that the supporters of the KMSS leader blocked the NH-37 for about 10 to 15 minutes from 5 pm today at Hatikhuli-Borbil in protest against the arrest of their leader. Police arrested 55 protestors taking part in the agitational programme and subsequently released all of them on bail. The blockade was ultimately withdrawn at 5-30 pm, said our correspondent quoting police sources.
Our Chabua Correspondent has reported that the members of the Chabua unit of the KMSS today blocked the NH-37 at Chabua for one hour in protest against the arrest of Akhil Gogoi. The protestors were picked up by the Chabua police. Additional SP, DSP and SDO of Dibrugarh Sadar and Circle Oiffcer of Chabua Revenue Circle rushed to Chabua Police Station following this incident. Till the filing of this report, the KMSS members were at the Chabua Police Station, said our correspondent.
Meanwhile, Akhil Gogoi�s wife Geetashree Tamuly Gogoi after visiting her husband told news persons that Akhil might have violated the legal provisions on Wednesday. However, she maintained that the agitators, who are facing the threat of being evicted from their land, were very much excited that day, as, the senior officers failed to turn out to receive their memorandum on the issue. This, together with the police actions might have provoked them to become violent.
But she also said that as their leader, Akhil owed moral responsibility for leading the agitators that day and this is why he virtually courted arrest today. Asserting that Akhil would remain a symbol of protest, she said that even without him people will carry on the protest.
She also maintained that most of the people facing eviction had voted for the Congress during the last Assembly polls and this has made them more aggressive.
Our Bongaigaon Correspondent adds: Different organisations in Bongaigaon district have expressed their resentment against the arrest of KMSS secretary Akhil Gogoi.
All Koch Rajbonghsi Students� Union (AKRSU) president Biswajit Roy said that through this act of arrest of Gogoi, the State Government has revealed its fascist character. President of the other faction of the AKRSU Atul Roy termed this act of the Government as an undemocratic one.
Koch Rajbongshi Mahila Samiti president Purabi Sarkar said that by this act, the State Government has revealed its anti-poor character, while the Bongaigaon district unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad has alleged that the Congress-led Government has targeted the indigenous people of the State for eviction turning a blind eye to the aggressive encroachment by the illegal migrants on the forest and other Government land of the State.
