Bogapani Eviction Drive: Congress leader Debabrata Saikia to move SC

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Leader of the opposition party Debabrata Saikia on Sunday slammed the Tinsukia district administration for allegedly harassing the public at Digboi’s Bogapani locality in the name of the eviction drive.

This comes after Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) carried out an eviction drive at Bogapani last Wednesday.

Saikia while highlighting the Dholpur eviction drive by the Assam government in the month of September last year claimed that he had earlier filed a PIL before the Gauhati High Court seeking formulation of a rehabilitation policy for evicting people from government land by the administration.

“I was not satisfied with the Gauhati High Court’s verdict and thus, I will soon be moving to the Supreme Court of India seeking a proper formulation of a rehabilitation policy for evicting people from government land,” said Saikia to the media in Bogapani.

The Congress leader also mentioned about the Olga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation judgment in 1985 which ruled that eviction of pavement dwellers using unreasonable force, without giving them a chance to explain is unconstitutional.

Also Read: Assam: Eviction drive at Digboi’s Bogapani leaves HSLC, HS students homeless

Citing another example, Saikia stated that earlier in the year 2020, Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken had moved the apex court for the rehabilitation of the slum dwellers residing alongside railway lines in Delhi.

“In the application, the Congress leader had asked the top court to direct the Indian Railways, Delhi Government to rehabilitate the slum dwellers prior to eviction of their residences. Thereafter, the court in its verdict directed the administration and the Indian Railways to keep an eye on the basic human needs including education, health, and food prior to eviction drives. But in Bogapani, there was no step taken as such,” Saikia said.

“How will the students prepare themselves for the Higher Secondary examination starting from Monday?” adding, “Law is made to help the people not to torture them. The same law cannot be set up as per the convenience of the administration,” Saikia said showing concern for the students.

Saikia further slammed the Digboi MLA Suren Phukan for his alleged statement claiming that there are many suspicious Bengali speaking people from Bangladesh who had illegally encroached in the Bogapani locality.

“Such statements by a local MLA have forced the Indian citizens residing in Bogapani locality to suffer. I am sure the BJP leader has targeted the Bengali speaking people. I don’t know what made him to utter that. The Congress party is always in favour of deportation of illegal migrants as per the Assam Accord, but, the people who are being termed as illegal migrants are railway employees and they are staying here since ages, how can they be illegal migrants?” Saikia questioned at last.

Also Read: Assam: Eviction drive at Digboi’s Bogapani leaves HSLC, HS students homeless