encroach
The disputed land. Image Credit - Northeast Now

The Congress MLA of Goalpara East constituency in Lower Assam, AK Rasid Alom, categorically denied on Sunday that he has tried to encroach on a plot of land in Goalpara town which stands disputed โ€“ it belongs either to a xatra or a temple.

Speaking to Northeast Now, the MLA stated, โ€œI have not tried to encroach or grab any land that belongs to any religious institutions. This is fake news that has been published in a section of the media.โ€

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However, he further added that he has a plot of land at Baidalpara Tiniali on Agia Road in Ward No. IX. โ€œI have a patta land at Baidalpara Road Tiniali and on Thursday evening I wanted to do earth filling work in a part of the land which lies in a very low-lying area.โ€

He further remarked, โ€œThe said land does not belong to any religious institutions and I have all the documents with me. But, few anti-social elements are making such false allegations to foment communal tension so that they can derive maximum mileage out of it.โ€

It is reported that few Hindu youths had on Thursday night barred a truck carrying soil for earth filling work from offloading citing that the land belonged to a xatra or temple. However, the youths were oblivious of the fact that Rasid Alom possessed proper documents of the land.

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The police have since seized the truck carrying soil and are keeping a โ€œtight vigil on the disputed landโ€. Alom smells a rat in the entire episode and has said that โ€œnefarious elements are trying to trigger communal tension in the otherwise peaceful districtโ€.

Meanwhile, Babu Ali, owner of the truck, has alleged that the Hindu youths had demanded money from him earlier in the day (read on Thursday) while he was offloading soil at a government project site. The police are keeping a hawk eye to prevent any kind of communal tension.

Sofikul Ahmed is Northeast Now Correspondent in Goalpara. He can be reached at: [email protected]