Trinamool Congress MPs, MLAs, detained in Assam airport, purchased their food

The TMC leaders were scheduled to attend a convention and meet some people whose names were not included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Elected representatives of the eight TMC member party delegation were not allowed to leaveSilchar airport. (Photo | AITC Twitter)

GUWAHATI: Six Trinamool Congress MPs and two MLAs from West Bengal, who were taken into preventive detention at the Kumbhirgram airport in Assam on Thursday, purchased their food.

"As requested by Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, the senior most member of the delegation, we had made necessary arrangements, which included food, water, refreshment, beds, pillows, bed sheets, towels, slippers etc," Cachar deputy commissioner (district magistrate), Lakshmanan, told TNIE.

Asked if the lawmakers paid for their food, he said, "They basically told us that they will be paying for these things". After spending the night at the airport, six of the eight TMC leaders - Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Ratna De Nag, Nadimul Haque, Firhad Hakim and Mahua Moitra - left for Kolkata by a morning flight on Friday.

MPs Arpita Ghosh and Mamata Bala Thakur left for Delhi by an afternoon flight. The TMC leaders were taken into preventive detention by the police as soon as they had arrived in Silchar. They were scheduled to attend a convention and meet some people whose names were not included in the draft National Register of Citizens (NRC).

As they were also scheduled to visit Guwahati, the authorities issued prohibitory orders banning their entry into the city. The politicians were detained in Silchar as the district authorities apprehended that their possible "controversial" and "inflammatory" speeches could cause a law and order problem. Two cases were registered against them on Thursday for violation of Section 144 of the CrPC and for causing injuries to police personnel during a scuffle.