A Congress worker died and several others were injured during a protest in Guwahati on Wednesday. The protest was organised by the Congress to highlight a range of issues, including the unrest in Manipur, bribery charges against the Adani Group, and the installation of ‘smart meters’ in Assam.
Congress spokesperson Bedabrat Bora claimed that Advocate Mridul Islam (45), a member of the Congress Legal Cell, felt suffocated when a tear gas shell fell near him.
“He was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital and then to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared dead,” Bora said.
A senior police officer, however, clarified that the exact cause of death would only be determined after the post-mortem report. The officer denied that anyone had been injured during the incident.
“The tear gas shells were not fired. Police only rolled three shells on the road to release smoke and disperse the crowd,” said Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah.
Bora further claimed that around 10 people, including senior journalist Amarendra Deka and his cameraman, were injured during the protest and were receiving treatment at GMCH.
He condemned the heavy police presence, stating, “In my political career, I have never seen such a huge and ruthless police presence to stop a democratic protest, which was going to submit a memorandum only.”
The protest, which saw over 1,000 Congress supporters, turned chaotic when police clashed with demonstrators.
According to visuals shared by the party on X, Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora were pushed over barricades by police, before being detained and later released.
Police Commissioner Barah confirmed that the protestors had not sought permission for the 'Raj Bhavan gherao' protest. He said that although three barricades were erected, protestors had breached two before reaching the third, where they clashed with police.
“There was no lathi-charge or force used. We only rolled the tear gas shells,” he said.
The Congress has filed a formal complaint at Latasil Police Station, accusing the police of excessive use of tear gas, and demanding a thorough investigation.
The party termed the incident a "homicidal death amounting to murder" and has called for compensation for Islam’s family.
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