Assam's Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi, who walked out of jail on Thursday, 1 July, after a special NIA court cleared him of all charges in connection with his role in anti-CAA protests, has called the order historic and said it would influence the judiciary system.
In an interview to NDTV on Friday, 2 July, Gogoi said, “Today’s order is a historic order. So bravely, and so sincerely, the judge ordered that this is a bogus case, that this is not a fit case for trial. It is a historic verdict and it will influence all the judiciary system,” NDTV reported.
Gogoi added that this judgment is a turning point for the judiciary system and that after this judgment all the jailed activists should be released immediately.
Further, Gogoi alleged in his interview, "First, the NIA tried to recruit me in BJP. Then they tried to recruit me in RSS. When I denied to join BJP or RSS, they tortured me. They mentally tortured me. This is what their political intention was.”
Earlier too, Gogoi had made this claim in a letter in March, where he wrote that the NIA had offered him immediate bail if he joined the BJP or the RSS.
Speaking to NDTV, he said, “I have been in Assam police’s custody many times but they have never asked me political things. The NIA never questioned me about the charges.”
Saying that the NIA is “totally biased”, Gogoi added, “In Assam, everyone knows that I am not a Maoist. I am just an activist."
Gogoi was first arrested on 12 December 2019 in Jorhat after an anti-CAA rally. Two days later, the case was handed over to the NIA and he was booked on charges of sedition and under the UAPA for alleged links with the banned CPI (Maoist).
India’s Home Minister Should Resign: Gogoi
Referring to the verdict, Gogoi stated, “The Home Minister of India should immediately resign as he himself coordinated my cases.”
He also demanded the resignation of the Director General of NIA, “because of all these bogus cases.”
Saying that his case proves the gross misuse of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and NIA Act, Gogoi said, “I will campaign for scrapping this draconian Act, this black Act. I will campaign against NIA as well.”
The Anti-CAA Movement Will Resume: Gogoi
On Friday, speaking to reporters in Assam, Gogoi said that the movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act that rocked Assam will be revived, according to news agency PTI.
Gogoi was quoted as saying, “Now that I am out, I want to assure the people that the anti-CAA movement will resume. No (illegal) foreigner will be allowed to stay in the state," he said on the way to his constituency Sivasagar.
On His Assembly Elections Win
Gogoi spent nearly 19 months in jail for his alleged role in the violent protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December 2019. He fought and won the recently-concluded Assembly elections from prison itself.
In his interview to NDTV, he said, “My mother was my star campaigner in the Assembly election and she did it so sincerely. Only because of my mother and the people of Sivasagar, I have the Assembly seat.”
Saying that the BJP-led Assam government was not sympathetic towards people’s problems, Gogoi added, “I will raise the issues of big dams and toll gates in the state Assembly. If the government fails to give a proper response, we will have to take the path of agitation," PTI reported.
On his way to Sivasagar, around 400 km from Guwahati, Gogoi’s supporters and locals had lined the roads cheering for him.
The Raijor Dal president was quoted as saying, “The outpour of people’s love for a jailed person like me proves that I was wrongly confined. The BJP kept me behind bars and won a second term but this won’t happen again. In 2026, a new government will be formed. The BJP ‘hatao’ (remove BJP) movement starts from today.”
(With inputs from NDTV and PTI)
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