Assam SFI leader ‘detained’ for bid to organise protests against Agnipath

GUWAHATI: Police detained SFI’s Assam state general secretary Nirangkush Nath for interrogation at Kakopathar police station in Tinsukia district on Sunday when he was trying to mobilise students and youths against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme in upper Assam.
Tiken Das, secretary of the state committee of All India Kisan Sabha, which jointly called Monday’s agitation, has also been detained later from Jorhat.
Several Left organisations have called for a countrywide protest against Agnipath on Monday and SFI, DYFI and Assam state unit of All India Kisan Sabha — various wings of CPM — have been mobilising protesters in various parts of the state to agitate against the scheme.
SFI’s Assam state committee, in a statement, said Nath was taken to a police station from the Dirak area of Tinsukia. The student body has demanded his unconditional release without delay. Nath was in Dirak to attend a SFI conference, whereas Das went to a condolence meeting in memory of a CPM worker.
“Nath came to Tinsukia regarding a programme on Agnipath. Police are taking his statement,” said Tinsukia SP Debajit Deori. Though CPM leaders said Nath has been put under “preventative arrest”, Deori said the student leader is only being questioned. CPM alleged that the police are pressurising its student leaders to stay away from Monday’s countrywide protest.