Was threatened to give up anti-CAA agitation and join RSS, BJP: Akhil Gogoi

The anti-CAA activist, Akhil Gogoi, who is contesting Assembly election from within judicial custody, on Tuesday alleged that he was tortured and threatened by "investigators" in 2019 to give up the agitation against the CAA and big dams and join RSS and BJP to become a minister.

Akhil, whose newly floated party, Raijor Dal (People's Party), is contesting in 32 of Assam's 126 Assembly seats, released a letter on Tuesday in which he alleged that he was forcefully taken to New Delhi by air on the night of December 17, 2019, days after he was arrested in Jorhat during the violent protest against the CAA. "Interrogation started from 9 am on December 18. Interrogation meant only political debate. I was told that opposing the CAA meant taking sides with the Muslims and this was sedition," Akhil said in the letter, which was made public by his lawyer on Tuesday.

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"I was asked to join the RSS and promised bail immediately in return. They also asked me to work to stop conversion to Christianity in Assam. When I talked against the RSS and the fascist nature of the BJP, came the straight offer to join BJP. They asked me to join BJP, contest election in the Assembly seat which was lying vacant then and became a minister in the BJP-led government. But I rejected all their offers saying I will continue to oppose the BJP and fight against the anti-people policies like the CAA and big dams," Akhil said in the letter. "I was asked to leave my organisation, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti and do some NGO," he said.

Akhil is facing charges of sedition and the charge sheets filed by the NIA alleged that he had links with the Maoists.

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Akhil said he was threatened with "dire consequences" if he did not agree to their conditions. "I was given a death threat, warning about jail for at least 10 years. The fallout of my refusal was that case after case was imposed on me. My bail was denied and today I am suffering inside the jail," Akhil said while making an appeal to people to vote against the BJP in the Assembly elections.

Akhil is contesting from the Sivasagar constituency in eastern Assam, which witnessed strong anti-CAA agitation. Raijor Dal stitched an alliance with Assam Jatiya Parishad, another anti-CAA party and decided to contest elections together. But Akhil's party later decided to contest in fewer seats saying that it was decided to prevent the division of anti-CAA votes.

Polling will be conducted in three phases on March 27, April 1 and April 6.