Assam Chief Ministerโข Criticizes Jamiat โฃChief Over Eviction Drive โConcerns
Guwahati, Assam – Assam Chiefโฃ Minister โHimanta โBiswaโ Sarma has sharply criticized Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani following โMadaniS callโฃ for a halt to ongoing eviction โขdrives in the โstate and โคconcernsโ overโ their implementation. โThe exchange highlights escalating tensions surrounding the โคevictions, which aim to clear land โขfor progress projects and combat โillegal settlements.
Madani, addressing a press conference, expressedโค sadness overโ the manner inโข which evictions are โbeing carried out in Assam, particularly in Goalpara and surroundingโฃ areas, claiming โคthey areโฃ “being done without following the laid-downโฃ guidelines” established by the โคSupreme Court.He demanded rehabilitationโ for “bona fide citizens” affected by the โฃdrives, stating,โ “The โSupreme Court has repeatedly said that whenever an eviction happens, a rehabilitation planโ shouldโ also beโฃ there.”
He further alleged that the government was โฃdividing people based on religion,โ using termsโข like “miya,” “unknown,” and “doubtful” – โaccusations sarma has not directly addressed in response โto Madani’s statements. Madani โemphasized that systems exist to verify โcitizenship and questioned why identified foreigners were not being deported.
The Jamiatโข Ulama-i-Hind โขhas also called for the removal of Chief Minister Sarma over the evictions, a โขdemand Madani โdefendedโ as within the organization’s rights.
The Assam government โฃhas been โconducting large-scale evictionโข drives aimed at reclaiming land allegedly occupied by illegal settlers, frequently enough focusing on areas considered ecologically sensitive or โearmarked for development. Thes drives have sparked controversy and raised concerns about the displacement of communities โand potentialโ human rights violations. The government maintains โคthe evictions are necessary for the โคstate’s development and to โฃprotect โits resources,and are โคbeing conducted within โlegal frameworks.
(Updated to reflect latest โinformation as of the source text.)