Arrested Assam Congress Leaders Released; Party Denies Planned ‘Agitation’

GUWAHATI: Top Assam Congress leaders, including state chief Bhupen Kumar Borah, who was arrested earlier on Friday while en route to participate in a memorial for a party worker who passed away two days ago, were released later in the evening. Uday Bhanu Chib, the party's national youth wing chief, who had been placed under preventive detention by police at a city hotel, was also set free.

While police claimed that these measures were taken to prevent the opposition party from carrying out protests, the Congress said it had no agitations planned for the day. The party instead organized an all-faith prayer meeting in memory of its member, Mridul Islam, who died during a 'Raj Bhawan Chalo' program on Wednesday to protest various issues, including unrest in Manipur and alleged bribery charges against the Adani Group. 

Youth Congress President Zubair Anam said, "We had no agitation planned. But heavy security deployment to thwart any democratic protest and the arrest of our leaders angered us, and we came to the streets to protest it." The Youth Congress members broke through police barricades and raised slogans against the BJP government. As the police prevented them from proceeding further, they squatted on the road. 

The members were later taken into police custody and held at different locations, including the 10th Assam Police Battalion premises, along with the senior leaders.

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