Guwahati: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia on Friday slammed the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government for allegedly failing to resolve the border issues involving several neighbouring states.
Saikia also urged the government to ensure land rights of indigenous people of Assam.
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He also suggested that detained suspected foreigners should be kept in detention camps and then deported back to their respective countries instead of creating a political narrative on them.
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“Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is creating a political narrative that he has made Assam foreigner-free as per his party’s electoral promise. But that is not the case. The BJP government has failed to fulfill the ruling party’s electoral promise of safeguarding the ‘jati’ (nationality), ‘mati’ (land) and ‘bheti’ (homeland) of the Assamese people since 2016,” Saikia told reporters.
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The Opposition leader was participating in a sit-in organised by the Sivasagar district and Nazira block Congress committees at Nazira-based Gandhi Maidan.
Referring to the recent eviction drives in Assam, Saikia alleged the government evicted Indian citizens in the name of eviction of foreigners in border areas.
“The government has failed to resolve the border issues with several neighbouring states,” Saikia added.
The Leader of the Opposition pointed out that the Congress had no objection to evicting people from forestland at Uriamghat in Golaghat district on the assurance that sapling plantation would be taken up in that area.
“But the plantation had to be cancelled on Thursday because some people from Nagaland with connivance from the Nagaland government, barged in claiming authority over No. 1 Chetia Gaon, No. 2 Chetia Gaon, Bidyapur and others. Cops had to retreat with folded hands,” the Nazira MLA said.
Saikia questioned CM Sarma on the disintegration of the Ahom community’s Greater Assam.
“The Congress demands the government should protect land of Assamese and counter trespassing,” Saikia said.