The Congress party on Sunday (2nd August, 2026) has strongly condemned the Assam government's decision to apply the National Security Act (NSA) on Pranab Doley, a land rights activist. Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress leader, alleged that the NSA was invoked against Doley soon after he was granted bail, viewing it as a deliberate effort to suppress democratic dissent.
Pranab Doley was initially granted bail by the courts following his arrest in connection with land rights activism. However, the Assam government re-arrested him under the NSA on 30 July, a law meant for addressing threats to national security, which critics say is being misused in this context.
The Congress has demanded the immediate release of Doley and called on authorities to ensure the protection of activists' rights to express dissent. It highlighted the importance of upholding democratic values and questioned the justification of using stringent laws like the NSA against peaceful activists.
