Sarma Blames Congress for Evictions in Assam Riverine Areas

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed the Congress party on October 3 for the state of people living in riverine areas. He claims those facing eviction today would have remained secure if the previous government handed out land pattas. "If Congress had given land pattas to the people living in the chars, no one would have evicted them," Sarma stated.

Sarma pointed to a local resident named Mamataz to highlight his point. He argued she could have avoided her current legal trouble if the former government provided her proper social security. He also targeted three-time forest minister Rakibul Hussain. Sarma mocked the Congress leader for failing to secure legal representation for Mamataz. "Rakibul, who ate biryani three times, could not arrange a lawyer for Mamataz," Sarma said.

The Gauhati High Court recently intervened in the case of Mumtaz Begum. The court ordered the Assam government to pay an interim compensation of Rs 2 lakh to her husband, Mujammel Hoque. Records from the Foreigners Tribunal in Nagaon show Begum was previously declared a foreign national. These comments arrive during a tense political cycle as the BJP and Congress clash over land rights and the treatment of vulnerable communities. The BJP already promised to grant land rights to genuine citizens in their 2026 election manifesto.