[REVISION HISTORY]

India uses National Security Act for detentions

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-19 15:02 UTC → 2026-09-06 08:07 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late July 2026, the Assam state government invoked the National Security Act (NSA) to keep land‑rights activist Pranab Doley in custody despite a court granting him bail. Doley’s arrest followed his protest against a proposed Hyatt luxury hotel near Kaziranga National Park and led to a preventive‑detention order that could be extended until mid‑October. Around the same time, Delhi’s lieutenant governor used the same NSA provision to extend administrative detention powers amid large‑scale student protests over leaked NEET‑UG exam papers, prompting criticism from Amnesty International India. A few days later, further details emerged about Doley’s case: he had been arrested on 12 July 2024, granted bail, and then re‑detained on 30 July under the NSA. Over 60 organisations, trade unions and rights groups condemned the move as an attempt to silence dissent, while opposition politicians accused the BJP‑led government of misusing extraordinary laws. By mid-August 2026, the situation drew international attention. Thirty-seven international civil society, indigenous peoples, and human rights organizations issued an open letter calling for Doley’s release and the withdrawal of the NSA order. These groups, representing nations including the United States, United Kingdom, and Denmark, argued that Doley’s advocacy at international forums like the UN Convention on Biological Diversity constitutes legitimate rights advocacy rather than criminal conduct. The activists allege the hotel project was pursued without the ‘free, prior and informed consent’ of local communities, claiming Adivasi-owned land was reclassified without proper consultation. In early September 2026, political pressure intensified as the Congress party demanded Doley’s unconditional release. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Gaurav Gogoi accused the state government of using the NSA to suppress dissent and alleged a conspiracy to undermine the Kaziranga UNESCO World Heritage Site for corporate interests.

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