Akhil Gogoi

KMSS activist and RTI activist

Assam

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 22^nd June, regarding the arrest of KMSS activist and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi and crackdown on SMSS activists while protesting against the visit of BJP president Amit Shah to Assam.

Ahead of BJP president Amit Shah’s visit to Assam, activists associated with KMSS and SMSS staged protests in several parts of Guwahati against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. KMSS urged the people of Assam to protest against the BJP president’s visit by displaying black flag. Since May 20, 2018 morning, Mr. Akhil Gogoi, President of KMSS, along with other KMSS activists had staged a protest near Srimanta Shankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati. It is said that, some BJP members tried to disturb the peaceful protest after which the police personnel from Dispur police station detained Akhil Gogoi along with 500 KMSS members around 10 AM at the 4th Assam Police Battalion at the Kahilipara, Guwahati. When the members of SMSS and students were gathered at the Bidyanagar market and preparing for the protest, police searched the university hostels (boys and girls) and detained 13 students from the hostel while some of the students were detained after the police chased them. When the Mr. Amit Shah’s convoy crossed the area, the students and SMSS activists again staged the protest near the Bhupen Hazarika’s grave, shouted slogans against BJP government and burnt Amit Shah’s effigy. Police from Jalukbari police station attacked the protesters, in which three students were injured.

HRDA prayed for thorough investigation and to take immediate actions on the perpetrators of the case.