Assam CM 'betrayed people': Congress MP Rakibul Hussain over Dhubri eviction drive

Congress Lok Sabha MP Rakibul Hussain on Tuesday accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of “betraying the people” through an eviction drive in Dhubri district, which he called “illegal, inhumane, and unconstitutional.” The Congress leader alleged that the government violated a Gauhati High Court stay order while clearing 3,500 bighas of land, and claimed the operation was carried out to benefit corporate interests.

Hussain, the local MP, claimed that the Gauhati High Court had stayed any eviction till the next date of hearing on a petition filed by the alleged encroachers. However, this order was disregarded by the government, he said.

The ruling BJP, however, maintained that the operation was conducted as per law and in the interest of safeguarding the rights of the indigenous communities of the state.

One of the largest eviction operations in the northeastern state, the drive was carried out in the Chapar circle of Bilasipara sub-district in Dhubri amidst opposition by a section of the affected people on Tuesday.

Alleged encroachers and miscreants reportedly damaged excavators and attacked police personnel during the day-long operation. However, security forces later brought the situation under control.

A senior official of the Dhubri district administration had told PTI on Monday that the cleared land would be handed over to the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) for a proposed thermal power project by the Adani Group.

Talking to media persons, Hussain said, “The eviction drive is inhumane, unconstitutional, and against the law. The government is working at the behest of Adani.”

“Adani’s son visited Assam recently, and our administration and chief minister have gone on an overdrive to deliver to them. The poor people are not even allowed breathing space anymore,” he alleged.

Hussain further claimed that the Gauhati High Court, which is hearing a petition against the eviction filed by the affected people, had ordered that no such drive should be carried out till the next hearing.

He also said the court had directed the administration to serve individual eviction notices to all alleged illegal occupants while hearing another case.

“We will check whether there has been contempt of court,” Hussain said. “The chief minister has betrayed the people, and he and the BJP will have to face consequences,” he added.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief spokesperson Kishore Kumar Upadhyay reiterated that the eviction drive against illegal encroachment would continue in the interest of protecting the identity, land, and heritage of the indigenous people of Assam.

“Assam's reserved forest land, Village Grazing Reserves (VGR), Professional Grazing Reserves (PGR), as well as land belonging to indigenous and tribal communities, are shrinking due to encroachment by illegal infiltrators. The party fully supports the government's action, which follows Supreme Court directives,” he said in a statement.

Upadhyay further alleged that previous Congress governments had facilitated the settlement of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh in the state for "vote bank politics".

“Instead of understanding the pain and concerns of the indigenous communities, the Congress party arranged to settle only Bangladeshis. The eviction drive was carried out through legal measures and aimed to preserve the political sovereignty and land rights of the Assamese people,” he added.