BJP hits back at Congress; fresh evictions lined up in Goalpara’s Dohikota, Sidha Bari

Goalpara, July 15: BJP leader Kashyap Prakash has challenged the Congress to file more petitions in court against the state’s ongoing eviction drives, asserting that such legal actions would only strengthen the government’s resolve to reclaim encroached land.

Speaking to the press on Monday, Prakash alleged that Congress leader and Goalpara West MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal’s petition in the High Court opposing an eviction drive in Rakhyasini Pahar had backfired.

“Mandal, without even discussing the matter with the Chief Minister, moved the court. As a result, we responded with eviction drives in Hasila Beel (Goalpara) and Paikan Reserve Forest (Goalpara),” he said.

Prakash claimed that every petition filed by Congress would be met with an escalation in eviction action.

“For one petition, we’ve launched three eviction drives. If they file another, we’ll evict six more areas in Goalpara,” he said.

The BJP leader announced plans for upcoming eviction operations in Dohikota Reserve Forest near Surjya Pahar, and in Nepalikhuti and the Sidha Bari Krishi Nigam area.

“We have kept Rakhyasini aside for now, but the eviction there is inevitable. In the meantime, as a ‘response’ to Mandal’s petition, we’ll move ahead with clearing Dohikota, Sidha Bari, and Nepalikhuti,” he added.

Reiterating the legality of the eviction drives, Prakash said, “Eviction occurs only when laws are violated and government land is occupied. These actions are based on High Court orders and are being carried out in accordance with due administrative process.”

He accused the Congress and other organisations such as the All Assam Minority Students’ Union (AAMSU) of attempting to mislead the public by portraying the evictions as illegal.

“If Congress was so concerned, why didn’t they issue land pattas when they were in power? Instead, they encouraged settlement on forest and government lands,” he alleged.

Prakash further claimed that Congress had played a key role in allowing large-scale encroachment.

“Outside of Agia, Dudhnoi, Krishnai, and Dhoopdhara, most of Goalpara was once forested. It was the Congress that felled these forests and encouraged settlements by offering money, with forest officials and ministers profiting in the process,” he said.

Regarding rehabilitation, Prakash said that evicted families would be eligible for relief if they could prove residency prior to 1971. “The government policy is clear — only those who establish their legacy before 1971 will be considered for rehabilitation,” he said.

The remarks come at a time when the state government continues its aggressive land reclamation strategy, which has sparked both legal challenges and political protests.