AIUDF urges Govt to suspend eviction drives, alleges targeting of one community

Guwahati, Dec 3: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Monday urged the State government to suspend the ongoing eviction drives across Assam.

Addressing a press conference here, AIUDF vice president and MLA Aminul Islam (senior) accused the ruling BJP and the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government of spreading “false narratives and propaganda” regarding evictions.

“Lakhs of people across Assam were granted land pattas under Mission Basundhara, Mission Basundhara 2.0, and Mission Basundhara 3.0. A criterion was fixed that pattas will be granted to people whose families have resided in the State for at least three generations. But not even a single Muslim family was granted patta despite having valid documents. This is a blatantly discriminatory attitude of the government. Land pattas have been granted to lakhs of people and yet people belonging to one particular community have been deprived and instead evicted from their lands,” Aminul Islam said.

He said the government has machinery in place to identify foreigners.

“It is the government’s failure if it cannot identify illegal immigrants. A particular community is being targeted using the term ‘suspected foreigners’. This is not acceptable in a democratic society. In addition, no surveys have been conducted to check the background of the targeted people before undertaking eviction drives. Even people with myadi pattas have been targeted during the eviction drives,” the AIUDF vice president said.

He alleged the eviction drives have affected studies of children and violated the Right to Education Act 2009, and called upon the Gauhati High Court to take up a suo moto case in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, AIUDF general secretary (organization) and MLA Rafiqul Islam said that the winter season has come and various exams are also going to take place over the next three-four months.

“Evictions should be suspended immediately. We urge the government not to make the poor people suffer any more,” he said.

Citing the ongoing Special Revision in Assam, Rafiqul Islam said, “We request the Election Commission and the government to ensure that not even a single genuine voter is removed from the electoral list and not even a single ineligible voter is included. No ‘tourist’ voter from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar should be included in Assam’s electoral rolls.”

He also accused the BJP of indulging in politics on the issue of granting ST status to six communities of Assam.

“The BJP did not do anything for 10 years. Now, at the end of their government’s second term, the report of the GoM has been submitted. This is nothing but a political ploy. Our view is that the demand of the six communities should be respected without impacting the rights of the existing STs,” Islam added.