Due to Police fire gas tear during rally; Congress worker dies

Guwahati: In a tragic turn of events, a member of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) collapsed and died after police fired tear gas to disperse protesters during a rally near Raj Bhavan in Guwahati on Wednesday.

The deceased, Mridul Islam, secretary of the APCC’s legal cell and an advocate from Boko in South Kamrup, was participating in the “Raj Bhavan Chalo” protest when he collapsed. He was rushed to Gauhati Medical College Hospital, where he later succumbed.

According to APCC sources, several party workers and some media personnel covering the event sustained injuries during the rally, which was part of the nationwide “Raj Bhavan Chalo” programme organized by the All-India Congress Committee. The APCC had formally informed the city police commissioner about the programme through a letter on Tuesday.

Following the incident, the APCC filed an FIR at Latasil police station, condemning the police action and demanding immediate and strict measures against the personnel responsible for what the party described as “excessive and unlawful use of force” that caused the death of an innocent citizen. The party also called for compensation for Islam’s family.

In the FIR, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) stated that the police’s actions violated human rights and led to the loss of a valuable life. The party alleged that the police used excessive tear gas on the protesters without any provocation. The deployment was described as indiscriminate, affecting not just the protesters but also elderly individuals, children, and those with respiratory conditions in the vicinity.

The party maintained that Islam was participating in a democratic and peaceful protest when he was subjected to unwarranted police force. “There was a democratic protest, in which the deceased participated in a peaceful manner. But the authorities unwarrantedly assaulted the deceased with group force,” the FIR stated.

The APCC alleged that Islam collapsed and died as a direct result of the excessive and unlawful use of tear gas. “As a result of the excessive and unlawful use of tear gas, Mridul Islam, a resident of Boko, collapsed and later died. Islam was actively participating in the peaceful protest. It is clear that the actions of the Assam Police led to his tragic death,” the FIR added.

The party has demanded a thorough and independent investigation into the incident to hold the police officers responsible for Islam’s death accountable under the relevant sections of the law. The APCC also urged authorities to take appropriate legal action and ensure justice is served to prevent such incidents from recurring.

“We urge the authorities to register a case and take strong and immediate action to ensure justice is served and to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring in future,” the FIR stated.