Dibrugarh: Congress MLA and leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and partyman and Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi on Wednesday met Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi at Dibrugarh Central Jail.
The two Congress legislators arrived at the jail at 11.30am on Wednesday to meet the 41-year-old peasant leader and RTI activist after obtaining permission from the prison authorities.
The meeting, which took place for about an hour, was termed a "courtesy visit" by Kurmi, who also accused the BJP-led government of following a vindictive policy against anyone who raises his voice against the government.
The meeting assumes significance because Akhil had been a bitter critic of the Congress when it was in power before being ousted by the BJP in 2016.
"We wanted to express our solidarity with Akhil Gogoi, who has been a victim of the BJP government's revengeful attitude. Akhil has always raised his voice on important issues such construction of big dams, Hindu migrants and Nagalim. The present government is trying to throttle the voice of democracy. Akhil used to severely criticise Tarun Gogoi when he was the chief minister, but our government never tried to suppress his voice. The government is saying that Akhil was arrested for instigating people to take up AK-47 rifles. If tomorrow I say the same thing will the government arrest me?" Kurmi asked after meeting the KMSS leader.
Akhil has been in the Dibrugarh jail since September 14 after he was arrested on charges of delivering a provocative speech during a public rally in Bamunbari of Moran on September 12.