"Evictions Are Pre-Poll Drama to Mislead People": Ripun Bora Targets BJP’s Election Strategy

Senior Congress leader Ripun Bora launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Assam government on Sunday, accusing it of orchestrating mass evictions, promoting communal politics, and failing on key developmental fronts such as education and land rights.

Addressing the media, Bora alleged that the state is witnessing an alarming breakdown of governance under the BJP, claiming that “Assam is currently under loot and jungle raj.” He criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his cabinet for allegedly amassing "mountain-like" personal wealth since coming to power.

“From 2021 to the present, over two lakh students have dropped out of school in Assam. Is this the development the BJP talks about?” Bora questioned, citing education as one of the biggest casualties under the current regime.

The veteran leader also slammed the government’s ongoing eviction drives, terming them a political stunt ahead of elections. He stated that more than 55,000 bighas of land belonging to indigenous people have been forcefully cleared under the guise of development.

“These are not just evictions — this is part of a bulldozer raj meant to uproot the khilonjia (indigenous) communities. The BJP is targeting the land and livelihoods of Assam’s sons of the soil,” Bora alleged.

He further claimed that the government’s eviction policies were being selectively enforced for electoral gains.

“With elections approaching, the BJP has started its drama of evictions again. This is nothing but a distraction tactic to mislead the public and hide its massive governance failures,” he said.

Bora also raised serious questions about the BJP’s longstanding promise to detect and deport illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. He demanded that the state government release a white paper detailing how many Bangladeshis have actually been expelled since the BJP assumed power.

“The people of Assam deserve to know the truth. How many illegal immigrants has this government really deported?” he asked.

Touching on the sensitive issue of communal polarization, Bora accused the BJP of deliberately attempting to divide voters along religious lines ahead of the polls.

“The BJP’s electoral strategy is based on religious polarization. They want to divert attention from real issues like unemployment, education, and land rights,” he said.

Bora also criticized the government for suppressing the Biplab Kumar Sharma report, which contains findings on illegal migration in the state. “The report was discarded like garbage. It never even reached Union Home Minister Amit Shah. What are they trying to hide?” he asked.

Concluding his address, Bora made a direct appeal to the public, urging them to vote out the BJP and give the Congress a chance in the upcoming elections.

“To save Assam from this destructive path, a Congress government must be formed on the 26th. Only then can we restore dignity, equity, and justice in the state,” he said.

Also Read: Pradyut Bordoloi Slams Assam Govt Over Debt Surge, Proposes Institutional Economic Reform