GUWAHATI: Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs and two MLAs were detained and allegedly roughed up by the police at Kumbhirgram airport in Assam's Silchar on Thursday. The politicians from West Bengal were in Assam on a two-day visit to assess the situation arising out of the publication of draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) and meet some people who could not make it to the list.
TMC MP, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, alleged they were assaulted by the police personnel and detained at the airport. "We went to stand by the oppressed but were beaten up and detained at the airport by the security without any orders. This is nothing but unannounced emergency," she alleged.
Party supremo Mamata Banerjee claimed that members of the TMC delegation, including women, were manhandled at the airport and accused the BJP of imposing "super emergency" in the country.
Videos, aired by local TV channels, showed some members of the TMC delegation jostling with police personnel. Earlier, fearing trouble, the Cachar district authorities had enforced prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC in the town. TMC leader Derek O Brian said: "The police authorities were waiting at the airport. They didn't allow the MPs and the MLAs to leave the airport. Our chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, who is a cardiac patient and has a pacemaker, was roughed up by the police. Two of our lady MPs, Mamata Thakur and Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar...the pictures are there for all to see. What is going on? They did not go there to break the law. They are lawmakers and not law breakers. This is super emergency". He said the TMC had earlier in the day sought a statement from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the Rajya Sabha but he did not come.
Assam's Director General of Police, Kuladhar Saikia, said two cases were registered against the TMC lawmakers. He said one was for violation of Section 144 of the CrPC while the other was for causing injuries to three police personnel. He also said that the politicians were prevented from going out of the airport and not detained.
"They were prevented from going out as the situation is not conducive and we did not want the worsening of the situation. We had informed them not to visit the place but they came," Saikia said and added that the TMC leaders were not arrested so far. They are scheduled to visit Guwahati on Friday but the police have already enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the city. There is a possibility that they would be taken to a hotel for overnight stay and sent back to Kolkata on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, dealing a blow to the TMC, the party's Assam unit president Dipen Pathak resigned from the party on Thursday protesting party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's alleged controversial remarks over NRC. The resignation came amidst protests against her in the state.
(with inputs from PTI)