Assam Forest officials accused of coercing villagers to vote for BJP under threat of eviction
New Delhi: Controversial IFS officer MK Yadava and eight other forest officials have been accused of threatening people of religious minority community in Assam’s Hailakandi district to either vote for the Karimganj BJP candidate or get ready for eviction with the help of bulldozers.
Today, as voting unfolds in Karimganj district (April 26), Congress' Hafij Rashid Ahmed Choudhury and BJP's MP Kripanath Mallah are contending for the seat.
Following the alleged threatening, the residents of the Butukusi village in Hailakandi district have moved a local court against MK Yadava, who is currently posted as the special chief secretary (forest), and eight other forest officials.
Among these officials are Silchar chief conservator of forests Rajiv Kumar Das, Hailakhandi forest division’s district forest officer Akhil Dutta, IFS officer and Cachar division DFO Vijay Timbak Palve, Cherangi range’s Ratabari deputy in-charge Monoj Sinha, Cherangi range forester Ajit Paul, Dullavcheera beat officer Faiz Ahmed Borbhuya, Cherangi forest guard Tapas Das, Cherangi beat officer Abdoon Nur, and Cherangi forest guard Faizuddin Laskar.
The petitioners belonging to the Butukusi village in Hailakandi district, have sought from the court of the chief judicial magistrate of Karimganj an order for an “impartial enquiry” on their alleged “criminal intimidation” prior to voting by engaging “an independent authority”.
The April 24 petition at the Karimganj CJM’s court was filed by Soidul Ali, Dilwar Hussain, Mojmun Nehar, and Alimun Nesa, all residents of Butukusi village within the jurisdiction of the Ratabari police station of Hailakandi district.
The petition also stated that there were “many other forest staff, police personnel, Assam Police commandos/Forest force in black attire, a total of 40/45 persons of all names in all, names and address of all those are not known.”
The complainants have categorically stated in their appeal to the court that there has been similar intimidation by those officials in neighbouring Muslim-majority villages too since April 21.
“Since last three days, the accused along with Assam Police commando/Forest force in 40/45 numbers in black attire, armed police, armed forest guards are going house to house in day and night at Butukusi, Rongpur, Cherangi, Jalalavad, Nivia, Sonapur, Kalamagura, Kalagang, Vittor Balia, Balia, Kamor Ma, Chuto Balia, Boro Balia, Gua Ura, Choutish, Monistopur, Monpur, Dolugang, under the Ratabari police area, and the Bilapur area of Hailakandi district, and Lowaipoa, Nagra, Kotamoni, Patiala, Isarpar, Zerzeri, Bali Pipla, Longai area of Patharkandi area, and asking the residents of the houses, calling them out from (of) the house, taking photographs of their house/residential rooms, keeping them standing in front of their house, asking them to vote for the BJP candidate Kripanath Mallah or they will be evicted from their house by bulldozer after June 7, 2024 (the counting votes for the general elections,” the petition mentioned.
The petition also stated that the accused addressed “us/those people using abusive and insulting languages, like refugees, bangalor baal xokol (those Bengalis from Bengal), etc. and asked to vote for BJP candidate and also said if we want to reside in our houses peacefully and happily, then we have to vote for the BJP candidate, or we will be evicted…”
The petitioners also told the court that they have a number of photographs and video clips of the incident and urged that those “may be allowed to be produced for the proper trial of the case”.
Calling it “a criminal intimidation and insult deliberately committed by the accused,” they have sought an impartial inquiry on the matter by engaging an independent authority.
As per the petitioners, they have enough evidence to show to the court the intimidation by the state government officials on behalf of the ruling party
According to reports, the officers also identified houses standing for “the last 50-60 years” built on forest land.
MK Yadav, eight others officers along with 35 commandos of Assam Police Commando Batallion, visited the minority areas in the Barak Valley for four consecutive days from April 24 and marked their houses during day time.
Locals said in the night time, they called for meetings in these areas and commandos hoarded the people in.
"Mobile phones were taken away and lights were put off so that no one can record the video. The minority community people were told to either vote for BJP or face eviction," said a local.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recently directed the Deputy Director General of Forests (DDGF), MoEF&CC, Regional Office, Shillong to “initiate action” against MK Yadava for allowing forest land to use for non-forestry activities without prior approval of the Central government.
Earlier, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) summoned MK Yadava in the case. Notably, MK Yadava retired as the PCCF and head of the forest force (HoFF) on February 19 and was subsequently re-engaged as special chief secretary (forest) by the Assam government.