Pranab Doley’s NSA detention sparks political firestorm, Congress alleges misuse of law

A political storm has erupted in Assam after indigenous rights activist Pranab Doley was detained under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), with the Congress accusing the state government of using extraordinary laws to suppress voices of dissent.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Assam government, calling the move a “blatant misuse” of preventive detention laws and alleging that it reflected a wider pattern of BJP governments using legal powers to curb opposition.

Ramesh said the Assam government invoked the NSA against Doley on July 30, just a day after a district court granted him bail in a case linked to protests against a proposed five-star resort near Kaziranga National Park.

According to the Congress leader, Doley had been supporting villagers opposing the project, with indigenous residents of Golaghat claiming that their land was forcibly acquired. He said local communities had been protesting the development since 2022 and had also approached the Gauhati High Court over their concerns.

Ramesh cited the sessions court’s bail order, which observed that when ecological protection intersects with indigenous survival, criminal law should not be used to suppress genuine local concerns. He alleged that the state government’s decision to invoke the NSA amounted to doing exactly that.

The Congress leader also questioned the grounds cited in the detention order, claiming that it relied on “vague and speculative” allegations, including references to alleged suspicious foreign transactions. He accused the BJP-led governments of following a pattern of deploying stringent laws against activists, workers and marginalised communities.

“The use of the NSA against Doley is part of a growing pattern of BJP governments weaponising extraordinary laws to silence dissent,” Ramesh said.

He further alleged that similar instances had occurred in other states, claiming that preventive detention laws were being used against those raising concerns about labour rights, indigenous issues and social justice.

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi also criticised the detention, alleging that the state government was unwilling to tolerate criticism. He linked the move to previous remarks by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the possible use of the NSA against artists over a mural of singer Zubeen Garg in Guwahati.

Doley, who was arrested on July 13 and lodged in Golaghat district jail, was granted bail in connection with protests held in June. However, the state government’s NSA order ensured that he remained in custody.

The detention order, issued by the Political (A) Department, stated that Doley’s activities were considered “prejudicial to the maintenance of public order as well as security of the state” and cited a “real and imminent possibility” of such activities continuing if he was released.

Doley has been at the forefront of protests against the proposed hotel project near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga National Park, arguing that it could threaten the region’s fragile ecosystem.

A peasant rights activist, Doley had also contested the Assam Assembly elections from the Bokakhat constituency against AGP president and state minister Atul Bora.

The controversy has intensified the debate over the balance between maintaining public order and protecting democratic dissent, with Opposition parties demanding greater scrutiny of the use of preventive detention laws.

With PTI inputs