Guwahati: Environmental activist Pranab Doley, who has been leading the movement against the proposed five-star hotel project at Ingle Pathar village near Kaziranga National Park, was arrested in Guwahati on Sunday.Doley was arrested in connection with a case registered at Bokakhat police station in Golaghat district last month. He was picked up by police personnel from his rented accommodation in the city.“They are taking me away without even showing a warrant, like hooligans kidnapping someone. Now we can’t even work peacefully,” Doley told the media while he was being taken away by police.When TOI tried to contact the officer in charge of Bokakhat police station, he declined to share details about the arrest.Meanwhile, Assam Nagarik Sanmilan (ANS) strongly condemned Doley’s arrest. The organisation also referred to the recent arrest of activist Aditya Rabha, who was spearheading protests against the proposed satellite township at Borduar near Palashbari. Rabha was arrested earlier in connection with an old case.“A few days earlier, Aditya Rabha, who was spearheading the movement against the proposed satellite township at Borduar near Palashbari, was also arrested in connection with an old case,” ANS alleged.In a statement, the citizens’ forum claimed that, irrespective of the reasons cited by police, both activists were targeted for speaking in public interest and defending people’s land rights. It alleged that the arrests were an attempt to suppress democratic voices opposing govt-backed development projects.The organisation further accused the govt of prioritising commercial interests over public welfare. It alleged that the govt’s objective was to acquire public resources for commercial purposes after securing electoral victories.“Ordinary people have not fully understood this, and we, too, have failed to make them understand it,” the statement said.The statement was jointly issued by ANS members Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, Paresh Malakar, Shantanu Borthakur and Abdul Mannan, who condemned the govt’s actions and called for protection of democratic rights and freedom of expression.
