BJP hits out at Akhil Gogoi for siding with ‘suspicious’ evictees in Dhubri
Law Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass said that the government was acting within legal bounds
Guwahati, July 8: The state BJP, on Tuesday, lashed out at Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi for visiting an eviction site in Assam’s Dhubri, accusing him of siding with “suspicious individuals” at the cost of indigenous people’s interests.
State BJP president Dilip Saikia criticised Gogoi’s presence at the site, saying, “Be it the Congress leadership or Akhil Gogoi, they have crossed all limits to appease these individuals. They are not in favour of the indigenous population.”
The remarks came hours after Gogoi visited the eviction site in Dhubri district, where the state government cleared nearly 3,000 bighas of allegedly encroached land in char areas earmarked for the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and subsequent transfer to the Adani Group.
The land is part of a larger 3,500 bigha tract sanctioned for future industrial development.
Defending the eviction drive, Law and Justice Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass said that the government was acting within legal bounds.
“The law has taken its course. After Advantage Assam 2.0, we need land to push forward industrialisation,” Dass said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a day earlier, had also attacked the Congress for politicising the evictions and protecting what he described as “Bangladesh nationals.”
“No force can stop us from freeing the land. The Congress isn’t thinking of indigenous people but of those who have encroached upon government land,” the Chief Minister stated.
Meanwhile, Akhil Gogoi, who spoke to displaced residents in Dhubri’s Chapor, urged them not to resort to violence and assured them he would request the Chief Minister to allot 500 bighas for rehabilitation. He was later detained by police after unrest broke out following his departure.
Before being taken into custody, Gogoi told the press, “This eviction is illegal and unconstitutional. The matter is sub judice in the Gauhati High Court, which has already issued three stay orders. Yet, the Himanta Biswa Sarma government is bulldozing ahead unlawfully. This is bullying and targeted hostility against minorities.”
According to officials, the eviction is expected to impact 1,200 to 1,400 families. The state has earmarked 300 bighas at Baizar Alga in Athani circle for temporary rehabilitation, and Rs 50,000 per household has been sanctioned for those who left voluntarily.
As the political storm intensifies, the Dhubri evictions are fast emerging as a flashpoint in Assam’s ongoing debate over land, citizenship, and indigenous rights.