Congress slams Assam governmentâs use of NSA against land rights activist
The Congress on Sunday (August 2, 2026) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam of misusing the Security Act (NSA) to detain land
The Congress on Sunday (August 2, 2026) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam of misusing the Security Act (NSA) to detain land rights activist Pranab Doley after he was granted bail, alleging that the move was an attempt to suppress democratic dissent. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Assam government invoked the NSA against Mr. Doley on July 30, a day after a district court granted him bail. He described the detention as a âblatant misuseâ of preventive detention laws and an overreach by the State.
The Congress communications chief said Mr. Doley had been arrested for supporting villagers protesting against a proposed five-star resort near Kaziranga Park, a project backed by the Assam Chief Minister. He alleged that indigenous residents of Golaghat had been opposing the project since 2022, claiming that their land had been forcibly acquired. Ramesh cited the Sessions Courtâs bail order, which had observed that âwhere ecological preservation intersects with indigenous survival, criminal law cannot be used to suppress legitimate local anxietiesâ.
âIt is clear that the Assam government invoked the NSA to do exactly that. Doleyâs NSA detention order relies on vague and speculative allegations, including that Doley had engaged in âsuspicious foreign transactions from doubtful sourcesâ, which is the Modi governmentâs familiar script,â Mr. Ramesh alleged. Alleging a broader pattern, Mr. Ramesh claimed BJP governments had increasingly used extraordinary laws such as the NSA to stifle dissent and cited instances of its invocation against labour activists in Uttar Pradesh.
âThe Assam government continues to show utter disregard for the rule of law and for democratic dissent,â he alleged, adding that the Supreme Court and several High Courts have repeatedly cautioned that preventive detention laws must not be used as a device to defeat or circumvent judicial orders granting bail or to prolong a personâs incarceration.
The BriefWire