Himanta Biswa Sarma: Congress and extremists incited violence during Sonapur eviction

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress and other extremist elements of inciting violence during the recent eviction drive in Sonapur. Speaking to the press, Sarma said that the eviction operations, aimed at removing encroachers from government land, were met with resistance fueled by political and extremist forces.

"The Congress and other extremist groups have incited the encroachers, leading to violent clashes with the police. The slogans used during the unrest bore similarities to those heard in Bangladesh," Sarma claimed.

Earlier in the day, Assam Police suspected a conspiracy behind the attack on police personnel at Kachutali in Sonapur. Director General of Police G.P. Singh said that an inquiry has been initiated to investigate the incident.

G.P. Singh, who visited the site in Kachutali, noted that police and officials were assaulted by illegal occupants armed with lathis and bamboo sticks. He explained that construction works had been ongoing in the area for the past one-and-a-half months. The eviction drive was carried out with the district administration's support based on the Chief Minister’s instructions. The area falls under a tribal belt with special provisions allowing only reserved people to stay there, but the current occupants do not fall under this category.

Singh further said, "The eviction drive was announced through megaphones in the area seven days ago. As many as 151 families have been evicted. However, the situation turned violent on Thursday when a section of the people attacked the police and authorities. They picked stones from a nearby railway track and pelted the officials."

The DGP reported that around 22-23 police personnel and administrative officials were injured, and several police vehicles were damaged. The police had to fire shots to control the crowd, leading to two casualties. A case has been registered, and the investigation will reveal more details, with action to be taken as per government policies.

At least three people received bullet injuries, and 15 policemen, including a magistrate and a revenue circle officer, were injured during the confrontation on September 12. The incident occurred during an ongoing government operation to reclaim 200 bighas of disputed land in Kachutoli, allegedly occupied by encroachers.