GUWAHATI, May 21: The state witnessed a slice of history when Akhil Gogoi, who became the first Assamese to have won an election from jail without hitting the campaign trail, was sworn in as a representative of the people of Sibsagar Assembly constituency.
The jailed anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) activist and Raijor Dal president took the oath of secrecy as the MLA of Sibsagar around 11.20am during the first session of the 15th Assam Legislative Assembly which got under way on Friday.
Earlier, newly appointed Protem Speaker Phani Bhusan Choudhury administered the oath of secrecy, starting from chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (elected as an MLA from Jalukbari seat for the fifth time in a row) and former chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal (elected for the second time from Majuli).
The 45-year-old Gogoi, who was jailed in December 2019 for allegedly stoking violence during the anti-CAA protests, was accompanied by a team from the National Investigation Agency, under whose custody he currently is in, to the Assembly premises by bus amid tight security arrangements.
Mediapersons however were barred by security personnel stationed at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), from interacting with the RTI activist, who is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital for various ailments.
However, while boarding the bus, the firebrand activist did manage to pitch in, asserting “that his voice for Assamese nationalism can never be muted and that he would ensure uninterrupted development of Sibsagar constituency in the coming years.”
Gogoi had bagged 57219 votes as an Independent, out of 124219 votes polled, defeating Surabhi Rajkonwari of BJP in the Assembly election.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Guwahati had allowed the jailed activist to take oath as a new member of Assam Assembly.
Gogoi was hospitalised last year for treatment of COVID-19 and is currently under treatment for other ailments at GMCH.
The RTI activist was arrested in December 2019 after a case was filed against him in Dibrugarh.
The case was later transferred to NIA and a charge sheet was filed in June last year which alleged Gogoi had led the anti-CAA movement which turned violent and led to arson and attacks on police personnel.
