A Trinamool Congress delegation left Assam on Friday morning, after being detained overnight at Silchar Airport. Six left in the morning while two other leaders left later in the day, Cachar District Deputy Commissioner of Police Lakshmanan S said.

Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who was among the detained, told ANI that the airport authorities allowed all passengers except the Trinamool Congress delegation to exit the aircraft on Thursday. “[As many as] 77 passengers in the same aircraft were allowed to move out. Only 6 of us were not allowed,” he said. “We had to cancel our public meeting. We just wanted to conduct an on-the-spot study of the situation.”

The eight-member delegation led by West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim had arrived at the airport on Thursday in an attempt to “take stock of the situation” in the Bengali-dominated Silchar, following the publication of the second National Register of Citizens draft on July 31. However, the police detained the delegation, calling it a “precautionary measure”.

MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, who is part of the delegation, accused the police of hitting him on the chest. Ray claimed police personnel also mistreated the women in the delegation. Barasat MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar seconded his claims. However, the police accused the Trinamool leaders of starting a scuffle and injuring their personnel.

Members of the party protested against the team’s treatment in both houses of Parliament on Friday.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the Centre and the Assam government, calling the incident a case of “political vendetta”, and purportedly told the delegation not to leave the airport. Why is the Assam government behaving like this, along with the Centre?” she asked. “This is a political vendetta. The BJP only has muscle power.” She claimed the police had “manhandled” the delegation, including the women.

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha over the detention of the party’s leaders. The party will also observe black day on August 4 and August 5, reported ANI.

The BJP, which rules Assam, has accused Banerjee of dividing communities with her statements and of politicising the NRC.