Guwahati, Dec 20: The winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly on Tuesday began on a stormy note with legislators of Opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) staging a walkout after an adjournment motion to discuss the eviction drive at Batadrava in Nagaon district was rejected by the Speaker.
During the session, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam expressed the party’s opposition to the eviction drive by the Assam government, demanding that the matter be discussed under the adjournment motion.
“The matter (eviction) is very important as it is a current issue, and of public importance. While, on the one hand, the state government has urged people to apply for land rights under the Basundhara scheme, on the other hand, it has undertaken such an eviction exercise which has rendered many families homeless,” Islam said.
“These people (who were evicted) were promised land patta by the earlier governments and allowed to settle there,” the legislator of Dhing constituency, said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Pijush Hazarika, while responding to the demand by the AIUDF, however said the eviction issue could be discussed during questions of the revenue department.
However, a chaotic situation emerged after the AIUDF MLAs proceeded to the well of the House, displaying placards and shouting slogans against the eviction drive, asserting that the issue is a serious matter and needs discussion in the House.
The party members subsequently staged a walkout and gathered outside the Assembly to protest against the eviction drive.
Interestingly, suspended Congress legislator Sherman Ali Ahmed also joined the protest saying that he was protesting the eviction move per se and not taking part in the dharna under the banner of AIUDF
The Nagaon district and police administration, had amidst tight security on Monday, launched a massive drive to clear ‘encroached’ government land in Batadrava mouza under Dhing circle. \
The eviction drive was carried out across 985 bighas of ‘encroached’ government land in the area located near the birthplace of Vaishnavite saint, Srimanta Sankardev, reportedly affecting about 300 families.
Earlier, Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi was suspended from Assembly during the question hour while he asked supplementary question pertaining to violence against women.
The Speaker had asked Gogoi to ask a supplementary question and not “make a speech”. However, as the Sibsagar MLA continued to raise the issue of increasing crimes against women in the state, the Speaker suspended him from the Assembly.
The winter session of the Assam Assembly will conclude on December 24, 2022. Notably, 12 bills, including a repeal bill, are likely to be tabled during the five-day session.
IANS