“Protect Assam from the CM, Not Adani”: Akhil Gogoi on Land Acquisition Near Ghy Airport

Amid growing opposition to the Assam government’s land acquisition drive near Guwahati’s Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Raijor Dal chief and Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi has accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of misleading the public through “contradictory statements” about the true intent behind the move.

“This land acquisition is not to protect Assam from Adani, it’s to gift Assam to Adani,” Gogoi said at a press conference on Saturday, strongly contesting the state’s rationale for acquiring over 400 bighas of land across three villages: 70 bighas in Garal, 257 bighas in Mirzapur, and 83 bighas in Azara, under Kamrup (Metro) district.

Gogoi’s remarks come in the wake of CM Sarma’s recent clarification that the state is acquiring the land to prevent private entities like Adani from purchasing it in the future. The Chief Minister had claimed the land will be used for government-run projects, including a stadium, a convention centre, and an entertainment hub, and denied any plans to evict locals.

But Gogoi dismissed this as a smokescreen. “The people of Assam don’t need to be protected from Adani, they need to be protected from the Chief Minister. Everyone living near the airport is indigenous. And now, these very people are being fed lies and being pushed out of their own land,” he said.

Taking it a step further, Gogoi said, “The Assam government doesn’t need to buy this land. No matter how much money is offered, the people near the airport will not sell to Adani. The Chief Minister need not worry.”

Gogoi also pointed out the inconsistency in the Chief Minister’s statements: “In three days, the Chief Minister gave three different versions. On April 13, he said one thing. On April 22, something else. And now, on August 1, a completely different story. Which of these are we supposed to believe?”

Gogoi’s statements align with recent allegations by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, who claimed that over 1,100 families. many with ancestral ties to the land, are at risk of being displaced under the pretext of a state development project. Saikia has alleged that the land will eventually be transferred to the Adani Group for a proposed aerocity near the airport, warning that local homes, businesses, and even the ecology of nearby Deepor Beel could be adversely affected.

Both opposition leaders have also criticised the government for invoking the Assam Land (Requisition and Acquisition) Act, 1964, an older law that allows the state to bypass the consent of landowners. They argue that the government is deliberately avoiding the more transparent and fair 2013 Land Acquisition Act, which mandates community consent and ensures proper rehabilitation and compensation.

“This is not about development,” Gogoi said. “This is about displacing the indigenous people of Assam to make way for corporate houses. First, they evicted tribal communities. Now, they’re targeting minorities. This government was voted in by the indigenous people, and now it is selling their land.”

Local businesses around the airport have also expressed worry. Many fear they won’t be able to compete with what an Adani-run aerocity might bring. Hotel owners and small shopkeepers in Borjhar, Mirza, Azara, and Dharapur say they risk losing customers and livelihoods.

Also Read: "Land Not for Adani": CM Sarma Clarifies Govt Acquisition Near Guwahati Airport