First reactions from the TMC on its leaders being barred from exiting the Silchar airport in Assam. TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien says, "Our delegation was detained at Silchar airport. It is our democratic right to meet people, this is a super emergency like situation."

An eight-member TMC team is being detained at the Silchar airport in Assam. The team which includes six TMC MPs and two MLAs was sent by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to assess the situation in the Bengali-dominated Silchar in south Assam's Barak Valley in the aftermath of the National Register of Citizens draft.

The TMC team says it will not leave the airport. The team is sitting on dharna at the arrivals lounge raising slogans. Outside the airport is large-ish police contingent.

When the team was heading to the VIP exit at the Arrivals section of the airport, they were stopped by CISF personnel and prevented from exiting the airport. The MPs said they were law makers and not law breakers, but the personnel at the airport did not allow them to exit.

The team was supposed to meet various sections of people from Silchar and hold public meetings on the NRC issue.

TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who is a member of the delegation, told PTI that the police stopped them at the airport on their arrival saying their visit might create trouble.

The TMC delegation including six MPs were kept in the VIP lounge of Kumbhigram airport here in Cachar district under Barak Valley region, the sources said.


The Cachar district administration last night issued prohibitory order under Section 144 of the CrPC and banned entry of any person not involved with the NRC process in the district.