GUWAHATI:
A group of 30 workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on December 11 allegedly tried to take possession of the land of a tribal school in the heart of Guwahati city which invited a sharp reaction from Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
However, BJP Guwahati City Committee general secretary Manash Pratim Das said, “This matter is under observation. The BJP has never done such a thing before. We are always with the public and always work for the public. Now, the opposition is talking in different ways by showing different facts. The matter is now under consideration of the state leadership.”
According to a complaint lodged before Birubnari Police Outpost on December 12 evening, a group of 30 BJP workers entered the premises of Janajatiya High School located at Ramkrishna Mission Road in Ulubari on Sunday and set up a thatched house as the office of the Guwahati Central Mandal Committee of the saffron party.
“The group hoisted BJP flags and banners in the thatched house from which it was revealed that they are going to set up an office of BJP without the knowledge of the School Management Committee,” said Meira Barthakur Goswami, president, Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress (APMC).
The school, which was set up by the late Lakhi Swargiary in 1965 to provide education to the students belonging to the poor tribal communities in the area, is yet to get government recognition even as ME section was provincialised. There are 55 students in Class X and 35 students in Class IX of the school, but the teachers have been working without salaries over the years.
“We were told yesterday that some people entered into school premises and set up a thatched house. We came in the evening and saw it. Today we invited all members of the School Management Committee, local residents and guardians. We held a meeting with all guardians and members of the School Management Committee. We lodged a formal complaint before Birubari Police Outpost in this connection,” said Kanak Sarma, headmaster, Janjatiya High School.
After a meeting with guardians and members of the School Management Committee, the students and guardians demolished the structure in protest against the land-grabbing attempt of the saffron party.
“Six bighas of land under Dag No 63 has been allotted at Ulubari village under Ulubari Mouza in Kamrup metro district in 1984. We have been protecting this piece of land for the past 35 years,” the Janajatiya High School Management Committee stated in a complaint lodged before the Birubari Police Outpost.
“Some miscreants entered into the school campus and set up a thatched house with banners and flags of a national political party in a bid to grab the piece of land,” the complaint stated.
“This tribal school has been located in the heart of the city. The ME section of this school was provincialised. But the High School section is yet to get government recognition. There are 72 students in class IX and X. The state government has allotted 6 bighas of land in 1984. But surprisingly, some workers of BJP tried to grab this piece of land,” Goswami said.
“I condemn this act of BJP. They should stop this land-grabbing attempt. In the beginning, the government arrested more than 450 land brokers from the city. But now they are going to grab the land of a tribal school. I know who is involved in this incident. I also urged the chief minister to take action against his party workers,” Goswami added.
“We will not accept it. We have seen BJP flags and banners here. It should be condemned by all. The government should take action against them,” said Anurupa Deka Raja, state spokesperson, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Assam.
“If they want land, they should discuss it with the school authority. Why did enter the school campus when the school was closed,” she questioned.
Leaders of Guwahati City Committee of BJP were not available for comment.