'TMC MPs illegally detained, beaten up at Silchar airport'

TMC and SP members display placards during a protest over Assam NRC issue at Parliament House, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. PIC/PTI

Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Saugata Roy on Thursday said a delegation of party leaders, including MPs, which was on its way to Assam to assess the situation after release of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), was "detained" at Silchar airport.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Roy said the issue pertained to the rights of the members, as it was a breach of their privilege. Other TMC members also supported him. Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who was in the chair, said that he would convey their sentiments to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Mamata Banerjee

Roy later said that the "freedom of MPs has been eroded by Assam government" and that he would give a privilege notice on the issue. The party also issued a statement saying the delegation comprising six MPs, one state minister and one MLA was "illegally detained" at the Silichar airport and termed it "super emergency". "They had not gone there to break law. Yet they were beaten up. Senior MPs were pushed. Female MPs were manhandled. Is this democracy?" the statement said.

Earlier in the day, the TMC delegation was prevented at Kumbhirgram Airport in Silchar by the district administration from going out of the airport and interacting with people. The members were confined in a room at the airport on the ground that Section 144 CrPC was in force in Cachar district.

Assam TMC
chief resigns
Assam TMC president Dwipen Pathak and two other party leaders resigned on Thursday in protest against party supremo Mamata Banerjee's opposition to the final draft of the NRC, which has evoked a sharp reaction from different parties and organisations in the state.

Arunachal students ask migrants to leave
Three days after the draft of NRC was published in Assam, the apex students' body in Arunachal asked "undocumented migrants" to leave the state within 15 days. Apprehending that people from Assam may "sneak into their territory", AAPSU said it would launch 'Operation Clean Drive' to evict "non-Arunachalees".

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever