Congress MP Alleges Displaced Workers in Haryana Are Being Tortured in Camps

In a scathing attack on both the Haryana and Assam governments, Congress MP Rakibul Hussain on Thursday alleged serious human rights violations at a temporary detention camp in Gurugram and criticised the ongoing political manoeuvres in Assam that he claimed threaten the state’s demographic and democratic integrity.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Hussain revealed that he had visited the Badshapur temporary detention camp in Gurugram while Parliament was in session. He was accompanied by West Bengal MPs Isha Khan Choudhury and Vardhan Yadav, along with Assam MLA Abdus Sobahan Ali Sarkar.

“People from Assam and other states, who are working tirelessly under the scorching sun to earn a livelihood, are being detained in these camps under inhumane conditions. Their basic rights are being trampled,” Hussain alleged. “These are labourers, not criminals. Yet they are being treated with utter cruelty and disregard for human dignity.”

He further informed that the group of parliamentarians had submitted a suspension of business notice in the Lok Sabha, demanding an urgent discussion on the matter. “We have also written to the Chief Minister of Haryana to bring these gross violations to his notice,” he said.

Assam’s Eviction Drives Under Fire

Shifting focus to his home state, Hussain sharply criticised the BJP-led Assam government’s ongoing eviction drives in tribal and minority-dominated areas. “What is happening in Dima Hasao, Goalpara, Karbi Anglong, and other districts is not governance. It is forced, undemocratic, and inhumane displacement of people. I have raised this issue under Rule 377 in Parliament,” he stated.

He accused the Assam government of using eviction as a political tool to marginalise vulnerable communities while continuing to deny them rehabilitation or legal recourse.

Delimitation and NRC: “A Political Gimmick”

The Congress MP also criticized the current Assam government's approach to delimitation and NRC. "Back in 2001, the NRC in Assam was based on the Census. The Chief Minister had then claimed that the new delimitation process would help protect Assam," Hussain noted. "But today, he has created a completely different and dangerous political environment in the state."

Hussain went further to allege that Himanta Biswa Sarma had become Chief Minister not through merit but through “blackmail and underhanded political deals,” replacing Sarbananda Sonowal. “This entire process has weakened democracy in Assam,” he remarked.

Call for Structural Safeguards

In a bold suggestion, Hussain called for legislation to protect the demographic makeup of Assam. “The six ethnic groups being granted ST status must be expedited to protect the state's demography. Additionally, a constitutional provision should be made so that only a tribal person can become the Chief Minister of Assam,” he proposed.

He, however, stopped short of directly attacking the BJP-AGP alliance but pointed to past contradictions. “A minister who once called the Muslims of Lower Assam 'sons of the soil' while he was in Congress is now claiming that delimitation is meant to protect the same 'indigenous' population. What changed in 50 years? This is nothing but opportunistic politics,” Hussain said.

A Broader Political Message

The Congress leader’s press conference, while focused on the plight of Assamese workers in Haryana, also served as a broader political indictment of the BJP's handling of identity, land, and citizenship issues in Assam. With evictions, NRC, and delimitation continuing to dominate the state’s political discourse, Hussain’s remarks are likely to fuel further debate in the Parliament and beyond.

Also Read: Rakibul Hussain Visits Chapar; Slams Assam Govt Over 'Inhuman' Eviction