An Assam activist leading protests against the seized Kaziranga luxury hotels

Pranab Doley had earlier accused Kaziranga officials of killing locals in the name of anti-poaching operations. Photo credit: X/@PranabDoley19

Assam Police on Sunday (July 12, 2026) arrested activist Pranab Doley, who was leading protests against proposed luxury hotels near Kaziranga National Park.

Enshrined in at least 15 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita registered at Bokakhat police station, he was taken to Guwahati’s Dispur police station for questioning. Kaziranga National Park is administered from Bokakhat, about 240 km east of Guwahati.

“He will be handed over to the Bokakhat police for further legal proceedings,” the police officer said.

Mr Doley, a resident of a village near Bokakhat, said he was “arrested” without any documents. “We can’t even be the voice of the people. What kind of democracy is this?” he said before being forced into a police vehicle.

An activist who earlier accused Kaziranga officials of killing local residents in the name of anti-poaching action mobilized people to protest the construction of some luxury hotels near the rhino sanctuary. He said these projects would violate the rights of local communities and block animal corridors.

Mr. Doley is the founder and co-founder of several organizations. These include the Kaziranga Committee for the Rights of All Affected Communities, the People Ecology Network and the Jyoti Bishnu Cultural and Research Centre.

State Congress president and MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized Mr Doley’s detention and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of using force to suppress democratic dissent.

“Trying to silence voices by sending in the police just because they are against the government is not in the character of Indian democracy. While the BJP government talks about protecting ‘jati-mati-bheti’ (race-land-hearth) and democracy, it is simultaneously trying to suppress dissent through police action,” Mr Gogoi said.

Published – 12 Jul 2026 21:53 IST