Guwahati, September 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi and several senior party leaders were detained by police on Friday after they attempted to cross barricades during a demonstration in Guwahati demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.
The protest was organised by the Assam Congress as part of its campaign against Kumar following a recent investigative media report on alleged dissent within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), voter data and new voter registration.
The demonstrators assembled at the Congress state headquarters, Rajiv Bhawan, before setting out in a procession towards the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. The protesters were also planning to burn an effigy of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Police had deployed barricades near the Congress headquarters to stop the procession from moving further. Tension briefly escalated when Gogoi and other senior leaders attempted to move past the police cordon.
Following the attempt to cross the barricades, police detained Gogoi along with other protesting leaders.
The Congress has been questioning the functioning of the Election Commission and has sought Kumar’s removal as CEC. Friday’s demonstration in Assam was part of the party’s wider political campaign against the poll panel.
Congress leaders have called for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process, while the Election Commission has maintained that its actions are governed by established legal and constitutional procedures.
There was no immediate official statement from the Election Commission on the specific allegations raised by the protesters.
The detention came as the Congress stepped up its protests in Assam, with party workers and leaders participating in the march from Rajiv Bhawan.
The party is expected to continue raising the issue through political programmes and public demonstrations, seeking greater scrutiny of the functioning of the poll machinery.
The incident comes amid heightened political activity in Assam, where parties are intensifying their organisational and electoral campaigns ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll in the state.
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