Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday issued a sharp warning to All India Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind president Mahmood A. Madani, saying he could face arrest if he “crossed his limits” during his visit to eviction sites in Goalpara district.
Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said neither he nor the BJP feared Madani. “Who is Madani? Is he a God? If he crosses his limits, I will put him behind bars. I am the CM, not Madani,” he remarked.
Madani had visited the eviction-hit areas in Goalpara a day earlier and called on the state government to follow Supreme Court guidelines while carrying out such drives. He urged authorities to ensure that the process was conducted legally and fairly.
Reacting to these remarks, Sarma said he had deliberately allowed Madani to visit the sites so he could witness the consequences of encroachment. According to the chief minister, the government would continue evictions in Village Grazing Reserves (VGRs) and Professional Grazing Reserves (PGRs), stressing that illegal occupation of such lands would not be tolerated.
The exchange has added a fresh dimension to the ongoing debate over Assam’s eviction policy, which has faced criticism from several quarters.
Assam Eviction
Assam is witnessing extensive eviction drives as the state government moves to clear forest and government land it deems illegally occupied. Since 2021, more than 50,000 people have been displaced and over 1.5 lakh bighas of land freed across multiple districts. While officials justify the operations as essential to safeguard natural resources and check alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh, critics argue that the brunt has fallen on Bengali-speaking Muslims, ethnic minorities, and even indigenous communities. The government has announced compensation for those affected, but questions over its delivery and fairness remain unresolved.
