AIUDF chief urges President Kovind to halt evictions in Assam’s Darrang district

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president and Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal on Monday urged President Ram Nath Kovind to stop evictions at Assam’s Darrang district. The area saw violent clashes on September 23 which led to the death of two people and injured over 20. The deceased included a 12-year-old boy and the injured included 11 police personnel

In a memorandum to President Kovind, Badruddin Ajmal expressed concerns that the eviction drive might lead to social instability in the state. Ajmal also sought people who were already evicted and demanded compensation to the families of those who died and were injured in last month’s clashes. He described the evictions as inhuman

Ajmal also claimed that the evicted people were citizens of India and had all requisite documents to support their citizenship. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in Assam of targeting the linguistic minority community.

The AIUDF president also appealed that an IDP (Internally displaced person) certificate be given to people who were hit by erosion of land by the shifting course of the Brahmaputra river and a high level judicial inquiry into the firing incident, according to news agency PTI.

Earlier, Hindustan Times reported that several residents of Darrang received the eviction notice from the administration just hours before the drive began.

However, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that talks were held for more than four months before the eviction drive began.

Meanwhile, a report by a non-governmental organisation on Monday stated that the police resorted to unprovoked attacks and used excessive force against the displaced people in Darrang. According to the Association for Protection of Civil Right, the police and administration blamed a large mob for attacking them with sticks and stones which led to the clashes.

“They (Police) first fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse them. When it didn’t deter them, they fired live bullets in self-defense.” the report added.

(With agency inputs)