Barpeta Police in Assam on Monday detained Baghbor legislator Sherman Ali following a disagreement with officials during an eviction drive carried out earlier today.
This comes after an eviction drive was carried out earlier today to free up around 400 bighas of government lands occupied illegally.
According to reports, Congress MLA Sherman Ali had sat in protest of the eviction and caused obstructions to the officials conducting the drive.
Subsequently, he was detained and taken to the Baghbor Police Station. It may be noted that the Barpeta district administration conducted an eviction drive at the Baghbor constituency to clear illegally occupied government lands.
The eviction drive was carried out at Satra Kanara village in the Baghbor constituency of Assam’s Barpeta district.
Around 400 bighas of illegally occupied government lands at number 12 seat of Satra Kanara were freed during the drive.
Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that the district administration had issued circulars informing of the eviction drive to the occupants of the government lands a week ago.
Several occupants had reportedly heeded to the notification and left the in the given time, however, many still remained who were evicted today.
Officials informed that around 40 families had to be evicted during the drive conducted early today morning.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on December 21 asserted that eviction drives to clear government and forest land in the state will continue.
Speaking in the assembly during a Zero Hour discussion initiated by Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, Sarma said the BJP government will continue to carry out eviction exercises and “there is no point talking about it”.
“Eviction is a continuous process and it won’t stop. We will clear forest and government land (across the state) as well as in Batadrava,” he said.
Sarma said Satras (Vaishnavite monasteries), just like Batadrava, represent the identity and culture of the Assamese people.
“All people, whether Hindus or Muslims, will have to vacate Satra land. We request all to leave the encroached land or else we will do eviction there,” he added.
