GUWAHATI, Sep 13: CLP leader Debabrata Saikia on Friday refuted Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegation that the Congress, particularly Saikia, had instigated encroachers in Sonapur.
Notably, the eviction drive had turned violent with a section of people attacking police and government officials with stones, bamboo sticks and spears, compelling police personnel at the site to open fire.
In the process, two persons died, 11 other civilians were injured while at least 22 police and government officials were hurt.
Accusing the Congress of inciting violence during the eviction drive in Sonapur, Sarma said that the eviction drive was aimed at removing encroachers from government land. “Congress and other extremist groups have incited the encroachers, leading to violent clashes with the police,” the chief minister had claimed.
Reacting to this allegation, Congress leader Saikia termed the chief minister’s charge as a “blatant lie” as he was rather appealing to the people to maintain law and order and that they should not resort to violent protests.
Saikia stated that he raised the issue of encroachment based on a RTI response on August 29 when the Assam Assembly session was underway.
“The concerned circle officer of Kamrup Metropolitan and Sonapur Revenue Circle had categorically confirmed that there was no encroachment on government land, VGR, PGR, satra land or wetland etc. Further, when I enquired if anyone was evicted, I was told that there was no eviction or encroachment,” Saikia said.
“It is very surprising that now the state government has declared the presence of encroachers contrary to the RTI response,” he pointed, while stating that notices should have been served before the eviction drive.
“Surprisingly, the honourable CM of Assam had declared on camera that no prior notice needed to be issued for evicting encroachers,” he added.
