A CORRESPONDENT
LAKHIMPUR: In the wake of the arrest of wall painter, graffiti artiste Neelim Mahanta by Arunachal Pradesh Police on Sunday, strong reaction regarding the issue prevailed in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district. Various organizations and individuals of the districts condemned the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh on Monday and demanded his immediate release.
Strongly protesting against his arrest, the Lakhimpur district unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) jointly took to the street and burnt the effigy of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The organizations demonstrated the protest programme at Main Chariali of North Lakhimpur town in association with the North Lakhimpur regional unit of the AJYCP. Attending the protest programme, AJYCP Central Committee assistant general secretary Sourabh Das and MASS State Secretary Raju Singha slammed the Arunachal Pradesh Government for arresting the artist at night without intimating him any arrest warrant. Similarly, Lakhimpur district unit AJYCP vice-president Bubuli Hazarika and joint-secretary Diganta Bhuyan also excoriated the Arunachal Chief Minister and his government alleging that Neelim Mahanta was arrested only because of painting the anti-big dam graffiti, not for any other reason.
The Dhemaji district unit of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) also expressed vehement resentment over the arrest of the artist. In a press release, Dhemaji AASU president Dipak Sarmah and general secretary Kalyan Gogoi said, "The arrest of Neelim Mahanta by Arunachal Pradesh Police in association with Lakhimpur Police for painting a graffiti tilted as 'No More Dam' has reflected the autocratic rule and non-democratic character of the government concerned. The act of arresting those who oppose to the government is against the democratic spirit and proof of surrender of the government to the big-dam patrons."
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