Barred from visiting Nagaland victims' families, Congress trio stages protest in Jorhat airport

JORHAT: A three-man delegation of the Assam Congress has been barred from going to Nagaland to visit the families of the civilians killed by Assam Rifles.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge Assam Jitendra Singh, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi, AICC's Nagaland General Secretary in-charge Ajoy Kumar are in sitting in protest against the illegal detention of the Congress delegation at Jorhat and preventing them from travelling to Mon district in Nagaland to meet the families of the victims.

According to a tweet by Gaurav Gogoi, the trio has been protesting for the last three hours to no avail.

Earlier, Jorhat's district magistrate issued an order barring their visit to the neighbouring state on grounds that the order has been passed under ex-parte Section 144 of the CrPc.

“In view of prevailing Law & Order situation in Mon and other bordering districts arising out of the recent incident in Mon district, in the state of Nagaland, the movement of civilians and others from Assam side to Mon district is restricted by the government of Nagaland,” said the order.

“I am satisfied that there are sufficient grounds to prohibit their further movement considering the present sensitive situation at Assam Nagaland border areas and apprehension of breach of peace and tranquility in the border areas of Jorhat district,” the district magistrate ruled.

The order also stated that they would be granted express permission to the delegation if permission for the same was given by the government of Nagaland.

Gogoi, recording a video at the makeshift protest site, said that the Congress delegation had been tasked with taking stock of the victims’ families.

“But Home Minister Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are trying to end the democratic process and barred us from visiting. Therefore, we are sitting in protest here.”