Lok Sabha MP from Barpeta constituency in Assam – Abdul Khaleque has urged Gauhati High Court to take suo moto cognizance of the eviction drives being carried out recently at Jamugurihat and Lanka by the Sonitpur District Administration and Hojai District Administration respectively.
MP Abdul Khaleque has written to Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court – Sudhanshu Dhulia urging him to look into both the eviction drives, saying that the actions of the Sonitpur and Hojai District Administrations were “in violation of Article 21 of the Constitution of India and also violates Article 25.1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)”.
In his letter to the Gauhati High Court Chief Justice, MP Abdul Khaleque said: “I therefore, humbly request you to take cognizance of the eviction drive carried out by the Sonitpur District Administration at Jamugurihat on 17.05.2021, and by Hojai District Administration at Kaki (Lanka) on 06.06.2021 and initiate a suo moto proceeding in order to restore the fundamental right to shelter of the affected people.”
Abdul Khaleque, in his letter, also alleged that the eviction drives at Jamugurihat and Lanka were in defiance of the Gauhati High Court’s earlier order.
“The eviction drive carried out by the Sonitpur and Hojai District Administrations are in violation of the spirit of the order of the full bench of Hon’ble Gauhati High Court,” the Barpeta MP said.
Notably, the Gauhati High Court in its May 10, 2021 order had stated: “It is also made clear that any decree for eviction/ dispossession or demolition which was passed by any Court, Tribunal or authority during this period (pandemic period), shall remain in abeyance subject to any specific orders which may be passed in a given case.”