Who will wait 50 years?': Himanta hits back at Rakibul Hussain over promise to return eviction-hit land

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 10 hit back at Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain over his assurance that people affected by eviction drives would get their land back if the Congress returned to power in the state.

Questioning the promise, Sarma said the Congress might have to wait another 50 years to return to power in Assam, adding that people affected by evictions could not be expected to wait that long.

"Congress will come back to power in Assam after 50 years, and by then this Congress may not even exist. Who will wait for 50 years? Rakibul Hussain should have said that Congress would return the land as soon as possible," Sarma said.

The Chief Minister said Hussain, as an MP, should instead have approached the district administration or the state government to seek alternative land for those rendered landless following eviction drives.

"If I were an MLA or an MP, I would have said that I would speak to the Deputy Commissioner and arrange alternative land for the evicted people. Rakibul Hussain should have said that he would meet the Chief Minister and urge the state government to provide land to landless people," Sarma said.

Accusing the Congress of taking the minority community for granted, the Chief Minister alleged that the party was making promises that could not be fulfilled in the immediate future.

"He has once again made a false promise to the minority community, saying that they will get land only if Congress returns to power. This means Congress takes the minority community for granted and lures them with false promises," Sarma said.

He further argued that the eviction issue could have been avoided if the Congress had provided land to landless people when it was in power.

"Rakibul Hussain should think about providing land to the landless today, not after coming to power," the Chief Minister said.