Trinamool Congress delegation visiting Assam on NRC issue, detained at airport
Silchar, Aug 2 (IBNS): A delegation of the Trinamool Congress, headed by a West Bengal Minister, was detained at the Silchar airport after it arrived in Assam in connection with the NRC issue, media reports said.
The team arrived at the city to attend a public convention on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) final draft and assess the situation in the wake of the release of the NRCA list.
The delegation is headed by West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim. Pary MPs Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Ratna De Nag, Nadimul Haque, Arpita Ghosh and Mamata Thakur, besides MLA Mohua Moitra, are the other members.
Reports said as soon as they landed at the airport, the administration stopped them from exiting the airport.
The TMC MPS alleged that they were beaten up.
TMC leader Derek O'Brien addressed a press conference in Delhi to allege manhandling TMC MPs at the Silchar airport. He said that TMC has no intention of breaking the law.
To maintain the law and order situation, the district administration of Cachar has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in Silchar town ahead of the delegation's visit.
Security has been beefed up at Silchar airport with heavy deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF), CRPF, BSF, Assam Rifles and Assam Police personnel in various areas of the Barak valley town.
Assam Police ADGP (Law & Order) Mukesh Agarwala is monitoring the situation.
A top source of the district administration said the TMC delegation plans to hold a meeting at Silchar Rajiv Bhawan to discuss the NRC issue with the leaders of several Bengali organisations. However, no permission has been sought for holding the meeting.
On Wednesday, Assam Transport minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said the state government has no objection to TMC leaders visiting Assam, but if they try to create disturbances over the NRC issue, the government will be bound to take action.
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