The clamour for the release of peasants’ leader Akhil Gogoi has grown louder with activists, writers, artistes and social media users raising their voices against the arrest of the firebrand leader.
Akhil, who was booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), is currently in the custody of the Central investigating agency in New Delhi.
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A court here on Tuesday sent Akhil, who was arrested by Assam police in Jorhat on December 12 as a preventive measure amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), to 10-day NIA custody.
On December 13, Guwahati police registered a suo moto case against the KMSS leader and the case was handed over to NIA on December 14.
The Asom Nagarik Samaj, a citizens’ group, on Sunday held a silent sit-in protest to demand the release of Gogoi and others, who were arrested during anti-CAA protests across the state.
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Scholar Hiren Gohain, author and journalist Homen Borgohain, poet and critic Harekrishna Deka, singer Sudakshina Sharma, novelist Laxminandan Bora, writer Anima Guha, story writer Apurba Sharma, artist Noni Borpujari, actor Kulada Kumar Bhattacharya, singer Pulak Banerjee, social scientist Apurba Kumar Baruah were among those who attended the protest.
The protesters also demanded judicial probe into the killing of six anti- CAA protesters.
“We condemned the arrest of Akhil Gogoi and other anti-CAA protesters. The government must stop harassment of Gogoi and others. We have demanded their immediate release,” AASU chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya told reporters while taking part in the protest.
Singer Manas Robin and other members of Silpi Samaj (Assam artistes’ fraternity) have also demanded release of Akhil.
“We have demanded release of KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and other arrested leaders at the earliest,” the singer said in an anti-CAA rally in Mangaldai.
In Moran, senior journalist Ajit Kumar Bhuyan while addressing an-anti CAA rally slammed the BJP government for arresting the KMSS leader and sought his early release.
Social networking site Facebook is also flooded with posts and comments seeking release of Gogoi.
Meanwhile, Akhil’s mother Priyada Gogoi, after requests from various organisations, broke her three-day hunger strike on Sunday.
Priyada Gogoi on December 20 began a hunger strike at her residence at Selenghat in Mariani demanding Akhil’s unconditional release from the NIA Custody.