GUWAHATI, July 10: Nine MLAs from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) were detained by police on Thursday while protesting against a large-scale eviction drive in Chapar, Bilasipara, where over 1,600 families were displaced to clear land for an upcoming Adani thermal power plant.
The MLAs had gathered to express solidarity with those evicted during the July 8 operation that cleared more than 3,500 bighas of khas land in Dhubri district. The eviction targeted revenue villages including Santoshpur, Charuabakhra, and Chirakuta Parts 1 and 2, and was carried out under heavy police and paramilitary deployment.
According to the district administration, approximately 95% of the residents vacated the area after receiving eviction notices. However, many remained until the final day.
Additional District Commissioner Santana Borah stated that a ₹50,000 one-time rehabilitation grant was offered to each affected family. But opposition leaders and residents allege that most families were left without any support or alternative housing, with only a few actually receiving the compensation.
AIUDF spokesperson Haidar Borah confirmed that the detained delegation—comprising Hafiz Basir Ahmed Qasimi, Aminul Islam, Karimuddin Barbhuyan, Dr. Hafiz Rafiqul Islam, Mujibur Rahman, Nazrul Haque, Samsul Huda, Nizanur Rahman, and Asraful Hussain—had joined the protest at the invitation of the evicted families.
“The MLAs addressed the crowd to show support for the displaced people,” Borah said. The police intervened and detained the legislators, escorting them to Chapar Police Station, where they were later released on PR bonds.
The eviction, one of the largest in Assam’s history, has triggered widespread criticism from human rights groups and political parties, with concerns over alleged targeting of minority Muslim communities and inadequate rehabilitation efforts.
