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Illegal Bangladeshis, doubtful citizens encroached 10 lakh acres of land in Assam, says CM Himanta
Sarma alleged that the Assam government had come under “international pressure” to halt eviction drives after the operation at Gorukhuti in Darrang in 2021.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed that 10 lakh acres of land in the state has been encroached by “illegal Bangladeshis” and “doubtful citizens”.
“We have taken the pledge to clear every inch of land from encroachers, suspected Bangladeshis," Sarma said.
The Assam CM made the remarks while speaking at a programme marking four years of completion of the setting up of Gorukhuti Mulitpurpose Agriculture Project.
Sarma also alleged that the Assam government had come under “international pressure” to halt eviction drives after the operation at Gorukhuti in Darrang district in 2021.
The operation cleared 77,420 bighas (25,500 acres) of land from alleged encroachers, during which two persons including a 12-year-old boy, were killed in police firing, PTI reported.
Sarma said that the “successful encroachment drive” in Gorukhuti “emboldened” the state government, which conducted anti-encroachment drives in other parts of the state.
The CM said that during these drives, 1.29 lakh bighas (nearly 43,000 acres) of land had been cleared in four years, adding that they had been reclaimed for forestation.
‘Resisting unchecked infiltration’: Himanta's retort to Mamata's ‘divisive agenda’ remark
The eviction drive in Assam's forests, which the state government says is to remove illegal settlers, has started a political slugfest between Sarma and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
Banerjee has accused the Assam government of threatening persecution against those who want to uphold their mother tongue, in this case Bangla.
“To threaten citizens, who want to coexist peacefully respecting all languages and religions, with persecution for upholding their own mother tongue is discriminatory and unconstitutional,” Banerjee posted on X.
The Bengal CM alleged that the BJP was carrying out a “divisive agenda” in the state, adding that the “people of Assam will fight back”.
Retorting to the allegations, Sarma said that the state was putting up resistance against “ongoing, unchecked Muslim infiltration from across the border.” He further claimed that this had caused “an alarming demographic shift”.
