Siang dam protest: Around 40 held in Delhi, Congress demands release

About 40 people were detained by Delhi Police on Saturday during a protest outside Arunachal Bhawan in New Delhi against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), and a large number of them were still in custody late in the night, according to the organisers.

The protest, called by Youth for Change (YFC) Arunachal and the group Himkhand, began at about 3 pm. Protesters told The Arunachal Times they were allowed to demonstrate for barely 15 minutes before police started picking people up. Among those detained was Siang activist and environmental engineer Katon Moyong, known widely as "Aborman".

Where the detainees were taken

A Himkhand member said some of those taken to Chanakyapuri police station were released later in the evening. But around 25 to 30 protesters were still being held at Baba Haridas Nagar police station, near the Delhi-Haryana border, at the time of reporting, the member said. Women protesters were also still in detention after 9 pm.

According to Himkhand, all the detainees were asked to sign a form under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the provision under which police can issue a notice of appearance instead of making an arrest. Lawyers for the detainees were waiting outside the police station.

Protesters have alleged that Moyong was roughly handled and that some detainees were subjected to excessive force and sexual misconduct while being pushed into police buses. Delhi Police had not responded to these allegations when the reports were filed, and NEInsider has not been able to verify them independently.

Congress demands answers

The Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) condemned the detentions and demanded the immediate release of all protesters unless they were being held on lawful grounds. It asked the authorities to disclose the grounds of detention, where the protesters were being held and the legal provisions used, and to inform their families.

The party also called for a "meaningful and transparent dialogue" with affected communities and for project-related activities to be suspended until their concerns are addressed through a credible consultation process. "The voice of the Siang people is not a threat to national interest," the APCC said.

Back home in Siang

In Arunachal, heavy security deployment continues in the Siang belt. Ten villagers from the affected areas remain under arrest and four have been detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, The Arunachal Times reported.

The 11,200 MW project, being pursued through NHPC, is opposed by Adi and Galo groups who fear the loss of ancestral land and villages. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said that only a pre-feasibility report is being prepared at this stage and that no decision on a dam will be taken without public consultation.

NEInsider will update this story when Delhi Police respond or the remaining detainees are released.