KMSS Leader Warned by Assam Police Over Proposed Road Blockade
Merapani Police Station in Assam's Golaghat district has issued a legal notice to Bidyut Saikia, General Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), cautioning him against organizing a road blockade on April 22. The protest was planned to oppose alleged land encroachment by Nagaland in the Seedfarm region.
The notice, served under Sections 168 and 171 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, directs Saikia to immediately withdraw the agitation and cooperate in maintaining law and order during the ongoing Panchayat elections. It cites rulings by the Supreme Court, Kerala High Court, and Gauhati High Court—including a 2019 Gauhati High Court order (W.P.(C) 7570/2013)—declaring road blockades illegal and unconstitutional.
Authorities warned that any damage to public or private property or harm to citizens during the protest would result in legal action under:
- BNSS 2023
- National Highway Act, 1956
- Railway Act, 1989
- Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984
The notice follows escalating tensions after Nagaland claimed 1,300 acres of disputed land for oil palm cultivation. Assamese farmers allege encroachment and accuse Nagaland officials of conducting a covert inspection during the Bihu festival. KMSS, leading the resistance, demands the return of the land, calling it ancestral territory.
With the Panchayat elections underway and emotions running high, the situation at the Assam-Nagaland border remains volatile.