RTI activist Akhil Gogoi arrested, charged with sedition in Assam

Assam Police on Wednesday arrested RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, for allegedly instigating the common people to take up arms and slapped sedition charge against him.

The police said a case under Sections 120(B), 121, 124(A), 109, 153 and 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code was registered over speeches Gogoi and pro-talks United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) leader Jiten Dutta had made at a public rally on Tuesday. 

IPC 121 is “waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India”. It prescribes death or life imprisonment. 

IPC 124(A) dealing with sedition states: “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine”. 

The police said Gogoi, who heads the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, and Dutta had “instigated the common people to wage war against the nation and also delivered speeches against communal harmony. They also announced that they are ready to use ‘hangdang’ (machete) and AK-47 rifle in their movement against the government”. 

The rally Gogoi and Dutta had addressed, was organised to protest the Centre’s move to amend the Citizenship Act, non-implementation of the Assam Accord of 1985, lack of constitutional safeguards for the protection of indigenous peoples in the state, and a recent incident of attack on surrendered ULFA members in Nagaon, about 125km east of Guwahati.