Assam Cong chief, others taken into custody ahead of protest over party worker's death

Guwahati, Dec 20 (PTI) Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah and several other leaders were on Friday taken into police custody in Guwahati ahead of a protest over the death of a party worker two days ago, an officer said.

Congress leaders led by Borah were stopped near Hatigaon Police Station, about 4 km from the state's capital Dispur, when they were proceeding to the state secretariat, he said.

"As the Congress activists tried to proceed, a few top party leaders, including Borah, were taken into custody by the police and whisked away from the site," a party leader claimed.

Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah was present at the site.

The authorities had earlier imposed prohibitory orders in Dispur area, preventing any gathering of people, an officer said.

Congress' youth wing activists also took out a procession from the party's city office, Manabendra Sarma Complex, to the secretariat.

The youth Congress members broke through police barricades and raised slogans against the BJP government.

As the police prevented them from proceeding further, they squatted on the road.

The state Congress president had called for a 'Dispur gherao' programme, demanding justice for Mridul Islam, a party worker who died during a 'Raj Bhawan Chalo' event on Wednesday.

An all-faith prayer meeting was convened by the youth Congress at the party's city office with leaders claiming that "no agitation was planned" by them during the day.

The youth Congress activists claimed that they came out on the road to protest the police action against the party's state unit chief.

Youth Congress national president Uday Bhanu Chib has also been kept in preventive detention by city police at a hotel since morning, barring him from attending any party programme. PTI SSG BDC