Written by – Manoj Kumar Ojha
Guwahati: One individual died and another sustained injuries on Thursday when police opened fire during an eviction drive at Paikan in Assam’s Goalpara district, police confirmed.
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The incident took place during a government-backed eviction operation and triggered a political storm, with both the ruling and opposition parties exchanging sharp accusations.
In a strongly worded statement, the BJP Assam Pradesh claimed:
“Following Rahul Gandhi’s politically motivated Assam visit, today’s violent attack on the police during the Paikan eviction is deeply disturbing. This is clearly a pre-planned act of aggression by fundamentalist forces, and we strongly suspect extremist religious groups orchestrated it behind the scenes.”
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BJP Assam Pradesh also released a short video showing mobs shouting, “Gari Bhang… gari bhang…” Later, footage showed police officers carrying an injured person.
Bhubon Pegu, a prominent political leader, echoed the BJP’s concerns and accused the Congress:
“The youth icon of the Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent visit emboldened elements who dared to attack the police. Today’s violence in Paikan is the outcome. These are direct assaults by fundamentalist forces, and blaming the Assam Police is shameful. We demand the immediate arrest of the culprits. #ShameOnCongressParty.”
The BJP-led Assam government has carried out eviction drives across several parts of the state, often citing encroachment on government or protected lands. In Paikan, the eviction reportedly turned violent after a group of individuals allegedly attacked the police during the operation.
Official sources confirmed that when the situation spiraled out of control, police opened fire to disperse the mob, killing one person and seriously injuring another. Authorities are verifying the identities of those involved and have launched a detailed investigation.
The Congress party has not yet released an official statement. Meanwhile, the political tension in Assam continues to escalate, as opposition leaders question the timing and approach of such eviction drives, especially in sensitive regions.
Authorities are monitoring the situation closely as tension persists in the area.