Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Jorhat Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi rallied in Bokakhat on September 5 to demand the immediate release of land and human rights activist Pranab Doley. Doley remains locked up under the National Security Act. Gogoi claims the Assam government uses these heavy-handed measures to crush dissent.
The MP grilled the administration over its refusal to greenlight the citizens' meeting venue. He questioned the state's fear of a peaceful protest. "Why is the government so afraid?" Gogoi asked the crowd. He insisted the meeting only aimed to address democratic rights and the future of the people in Assam.
Gogoi also slammed proposals to shrink the Eco-Sensitive Zone around the Kaziranga National Park. He warned that weakening these protections threatens the ecological integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The MP wants the government to stop the cuts and start talking to the public through proper legal channels.
Updated at 6th September 2026 at 10:06pm
Thousands of demonstrators, backed by a coalition including the Congress, Raijor Dal, Asom Jatiya Parishad, and various farmers' unions, flooded the streets of Bokakhat on Sunday. The crowd turned aggressive after local authorities locked the gates of the Mising Jironi Sora rest house, forcing the event to shift to Doley's home. Protesters blocked the National Highway, chanting slogans against the government and calling for his immediate release.
Gogoi and AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi pointed to a specific motive behind the crackdown: a proposed luxury Hyatt hotel project on land formerly used by Adivasi and Mising farmers near Kaziranga. Activists claim Doley is being sidelined to clear the path for these commercial interests.
Legal records show the state's justification is fraying. While the government slapped Doley with the National Security Act on July 30, a Golaghat court had already granted him bail in a related case just a day prior. The court's bail order poked holes in the prosecution's claims, noting that police failed to produce alleged weapons, and video evidence contradicted assertions that protesters tried to burn a cement mixer.
The Gauhati High Court has intervened in the ongoing legal battle. It is currently reviewing a writ petition challenging the preventive detention, with the next hearing set for September 14. Previously, the court granted Doley the right to meet with legal counsel and family members without seeking permission from the district magistrate.
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