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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Oppn says minorities in Upper Assam being given ultimatums to leave by vigilante groups
Opposition parties in the state have alleged a breakdown of the law-and-order machinery in Upper Assam, citing a government policy that encourages 'indigenous' people to possess arms in areas where they are in a 'minority', and vigilante activity by Assamese nationalist groups in Sivasagar and other towns. Both Congress leader Ripun Bora and Sivasagar MLA from regional party Raijor Dol called for President's Rule, alleging that the state government is unable to provide security to its citizens. Various Assamese nationalist groups, including the All Tai Ahom Students Union, Jatiya Sangrami Sena and Bir Lachit Sena, have allegedly been running a campaign in different towns in Upper Assam against Bengali-Muslims living and working there, referring to them as 'suspected Bangladeshis.' This has been particularly prevalent in Sivasagar, from where videos purportedly show vigilantes going to the rented accommodations and ordering occupants to 'leave Upper Assam'. The outfits call this a 'miya kheda andolan' (movement to chase away miyas, a pejorative term used to refer to Bengali-origin Muslims). This follows widespread evictions in different parts of Assam, most recently in Golaghat district, and comes against the backdrop of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma emphasising the need to 'stem demographic invasion' of Upper Assam by 'people of one religion.' On Friday, forest authorities and the Golaghat district administration undertook a demolition drive in which 146 families were evicted. Opposition leaders particularly zeroed in on Sarma's response to a question by a reporter earlier this week, seeking his comment on allegations that the 'campaign' in Sivasagar is happening with his patronage. 'It has to happen with my patronage. I am only saying that people need to stay in whichever area they should stay,' he said. Accusing Sarma of 'instigating mob violence' in Sivasagar, Congress leader Ripun Bora said, 'Our country's Constitution gives citizens fundamental rights of which one is that citizens can go to other parts of the country and work. So, some Muslim people from Lower Assam are in Upper Assam to do different kinds of work, like many youth from Assam are in different parts of the country to work. Those people are being called miya by some organisations and given ultimatums of 48 hours to leave Upper Assam.' He also pointed to the government planning to roll out an online portal where 'indigenous people, who perceive a threat to their lives and reside in sensitive areas' can apply for arms licences. Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi said there 'is no guarantee' of when things could go 'out of control.' The AIUDF has also written to the Assam DGP asking for his intervention 'to identify and take strict legal action against the individuals and groups responsible for these unlawful activities'.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong slams Himanta, Assam govt over tribal evictions, corporate bias
Guwahati: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora criticised chief minister and his govt, accusing them of unjust shooting and dispossession of indigenous and tribal communities through eviction drives and favouring corporate interests. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Bora's sharp remarks come just months ahead of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections and amid ongoing mass evictions across several districts of Assam. Addressing a press conference on Friday, Bora alleged that the BJP, which came to power on the promise of 'Jati-Mati-Bheti' (community, home and hearth), has instead displaced tribal communities and handed over land to corporate tycoons under the guise of clearing encroachments. "Their slogan has shifted from Jati-Mati-Bheti to the interests of Adani, Ambani, and Ramdev," he said. He recalled the 2017 Amchang eviction under former CM Sarbananda Sonowal, which left over 1,000 Mising, Bodo, and Karbi families homeless, and alleged police firing injured two women -- Bina Doley and Malati Das -- during a separate eviction drive in city's Panjabari area. "During the protest against AIIMS at Raha in 2017, Mintu Deori, a youth from Tiwa community, lost his life during a gun fire. Similarly, during the CAA protest, five men died," Bora added. Further, he alleged that thousands of bighas of land have been lost, and indigenous tribes have been displaced as a result of development projects like the satellite township in Palashbari, thermal power in Dhubri and Kokrajhar, solar power plants in Karbi Anglong and Nagaon, and more. "A 55-MW hydropower project is planned at Kulsi river in Ukiam on the Assam-Meghalaya border. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A 62-metre dam threatens 26 villages near Chandubi lake, inhabited by Rabha, Bodo, Garo, and Khasi people in south Kamrup, which would damage about thousands of lands comprising about 400 villages," he added. He also accused the govt of cutting funds meant for SC, ST, and OBC welfare — citing reductions of up to 10-20% — and delaying ST status for ethnic groups awaiting recognition since 2016. "Similarly numerous autonomous councils like the Raha, Mising, Sonowal Kachari and more have faced repeated fund cuts, or delays in disbursements, which were meant for their development," he further added.
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Congress alleges possible implementation of Maharashtra-Bihar style voter purge model in Assam by ECI at BJP's behest
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 13 (ANI): Expressing serious doubts over the neutrality of the Election Commission, the Congress party on Sunday raised several critical questions. As per a press statement, former MP Ripun Bora and AICC Media Coordinator for Assam, Charan Singh Sapra, jointly addressed a press conference and alleged that the Election Commission has become a puppet in the hands of the BJP and the Central government. Ripun Bora stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now using the Election Commission as a tool to maintain power, crafting a blueprint for electoral manipulation. He alleged that after Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP is planning a similar conspiracy in Assam -- to delete names of Opposition voters, particularly Congress supporters, from the electoral rolls under the pretext of voter list revision before the 2026 Assam Assembly elections. National spokesperson of the Indian National Congress, Charan Singh Sapra, who was also present at the press conference, said that the Election Commission has now turned into a 'His Master's Voice.' Just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not held a single press conference in the last 11 years, the Election Commission, too, is following the same approach. Ahead of the Bihar elections, without even holding a press briefing, the EC has begun massive revision work of the electoral rolls, imposing authoritarian pressure on citizens. He stated that the Election Commission has started playing hide-and-seek with the public. Questioning the motives behind such steps, Sapra asked, 'Why did the Election Commission not hold consultations with various stakeholders before launching such a massive operation?' He further alleged that the Commission is now acting to keep Narendra Modi in power and that by ignoring public trust and constitutional norms, the EC is overstepping its mandate. 'The Commission is meant to be a neutral umpire, but it has now become a player itself -- playing for the ruling party,' he said. Ripun Bora further claimed that, similar to Maharashtra and Bihar, the BJP is using the Election Commission in Assam to delete the names of Congress supporters from the voters' list in the name of cleansing or 'revision'. Referring to the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in November, Bora said that in order to avoid an anticipated defeat, the BJP has conspired to drop the names of opposition supporters like Congress and RJD from the voters' list under the so-called 'intensive revision' process. As per the EC's notification dated June 24, 2025, this intensive revision is scheduled from June 25 to July 26 across Bihar. Bora pointed out that this process could result in the exclusion of lakhs of voters, as many may not be able to submit documents in time during door-to-door enumeration. He also criticised the list of documents made mandatory under the BJP's directives, noting that Aadhaar card, Voter ID, and Ration card -- which are the most commonly held and government-issued documents -- are not even mentioned. In response, Congress and several opposition parties have already approached the Supreme Court, and on July 10, the court directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration card as valid documents. Ripun Bora also cited the example of Maharashtra, where between the April-May 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November Assembly elections, 47 lakh new voters were added within just six months. In 50 constituencies, over 50,000 voters were added per constituency. Investigations revealed that these additions were made with the organised inclusion of BJP supporters from neighbouring states to manipulate the outcome. He expressed concern that a similar scenario may unfold in Assam. He alleged that the BJP has started issuing notices to voters suspected as 'D-voters' or foreigners, many of whom are traditional Congress supporters, thereby attempting to strip them of their voting rights. During the upcoming Summary Revision, BJP's external operatives may use Form 7 to request deletion or relocation of Congress voters' names from the list, he feared. In light of these developments, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has already begun training Block Level Agents (BLAs) to vigilantly counter such conspiracies. The party also urged the Election Commission not to support the BJP's undemocratic attempts to manipulate the electoral process in Assam. (ANI)
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress alleges electoral roll manipulation possibility in Assam
Guwahati: The Congress has raised serious concerns about alleged voter list manipulation in Bihar, and has claimed that the state govt and election authorities are conspiring to remove Congress-supporting voters by marking them as 'D' voters (doubtful voters) in Assam. The party also alleged that during Assam's summary revision process, BJP is planning to remove specific voters through unfounded online complaints while attempting to add voters from adjacent states. At a press conference, former Assam PCC president Ripun Bora and AICC spokesperson Charan Singh Sapra alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has become a 'puppet' to the BJP and central govt. Bora accused BJP of utilising the EC to retain power. He alleged that following Maharashtra and Bihar, BJP is orchestrating a similar strategy in Assam to remove names of opposition voters, particularly Congress supporters, from electoral rolls during the revision of the voter list before the 2026 Assam Assembly polls. Charan Singh Sapra criticised EC's electoral roll revision in Bihar "without proper public briefing". He said EC has started playing hide-and-seek with the public. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Zunido no ouvido? Imploro as brasileiras que usem este truque. Receita Anti-Zumbido Undo Ripun Bora also cited the example of Maharashtra, where between the April-May 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the Nov Assembly elections, 47 lakh new voters were added within six months. Bora expressed concern that a similar scenario may unfold in Assam soon. He alleged that BJP has started issuing notices to voters suspected as "D-voters" or foreigners, many of whom are Congress supporters, thereby attempting to strip them of their voting rights. "During the upcoming Summary Revision, BJP's external operatives may use Form 7 to request deletion or relocation of Congress voters' names from the list," he said.
Deccan Herald
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
‘Startling confession' by Congress leader on Gaurav Gogoi's wife being on Pak govt ‘payroll': Assam CM Himanta
Yesterday, senior Congress leader Sri Ripun Bora made a startling confession — he admitted that the British wife of Hon'ble MP Sri Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government. If this is indeed true, it raises deeply alarming questions about national…
