Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi immediately after walking out of a jail in Goalpara on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“Now, there is no democracy in Assam. The charges framed against me by the BJP-led government were all totally baseless. Sarbananda Sonowal is a puppet; both Sonowal and Himanta are working to gratify Delhi,” Akhil told reporters in Goalpara.
Gogoi walked out of Goalpara district jail after being lodged in prison for 105 days. He was accorded warm welcome by the KMSS activists and his supporters.
Gogoi was arrested by the Assam Police on charges of sedition on September 23, after he spoke at a public rally at Moran. On September 24, Gogoi was booked under the NSA.
“I am happy to come out of the jail today. The charges framed against me by the BJP were all baseless and this is why the Gauhati High Court has quashed the detention order against me under the National Security Act (NSA),” said Gogoi.
The KMSS chief had challenged the detention order under the NSA and the Gauhati High Court quashed the detention order after hearing the petition filed by Gogoi’s counsel.
However, immediately after the High Court’s order, the Goalpara police arrested Gogoi and sent him to judicial custody.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Goalpara after hearing the case on Tuesday granted bail to Gogoi.
“The Assam government has alleged that I had links with the ULFA and Maoists and framed me under NSA. However, they failed to prove the charges in the court and hence the court released me,” he said.
He also vowed to launch a massive movement against the Centre’s move to grant citizenship to the “Hindu Bangladeshis” by passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
“The BJP wants to settle the Hindu Bangladeshis in Assam by amending the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. However, we are not going to tolerate any Bangladeshis who had entered the state after March 25, 1971. We are going to oppose the move to pass the Citizenship Amendment Bill,” Akhil said.
He said that not Sonowal, but Supreme Court Judge Ranjan Gogoi is the jatiyo nayak (national hero) of Assam.
Gogoi further alleged that police had brutally tortured him while he was in police custody.