Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (L) and LoP Rahul Gandhi (R).
Credit: PTI File Photos
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused the Congress of attempting to give infiltrators a new identity, suggesting that if the party is so fond of them, they should send them to Rahul Gandhi’s residence.
Claiming that Congress state president Gaurav Gogoi had recently termed the infiltrators as 'Na Asamiya' (New Assamese), Sarma said, "If he has said that, then he should accommodate them in his own house, as there is no place in our house."
There aren't enough resources or places for the original Assamese, so where can the new Assamese be accommodated, he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme.
''There is no land, place or homes and we cannot provide enough facilities to the Assamese. How can we provide for these so-called new Assamese'', Sarma said.
"If Gogoi is so concerned about them, then he should ''send these people to Rahul Gandhi's house'', the CM said.
The CM said eviction drives will continue to clear encroached land.
''Eviction drives will continue. After the Assembly elections next year, the BJP will return to power and even then the evictions will continue'', he said.
Besides, 'Wwherever we find illegal infiltrators, they will be pushed back'', he added.
Sarma claimed that so far 45,870 acres (1.39 lakh bighas) of encroached land have been cleared and these include unauthorised occupation of forest land, village grazing reserve), professional grazing reserve), satras, namghars, and other public areas.
Most of the people displaced due to the eviction drives are from the Bengali-speaking Muslims community who claim that their ancestors had moved and settled in the areas where drives were carried out after their land in the ‘Char’ or riverine areas were washed away due to erosion by the River Brahmaputra.