The Congress MLA of Goalpara East constituency in Lower Assam, AK Rasid Alom, categorically denied on Sunday that he has tried to encroach on a plot of land in Goalpara town which stands disputed – it belongs either to a xatra or a temple.
Speaking to Northeast Now, the MLA stated, “I have not tried to encroach or grab any land that belongs to any religious institutions. This is fake news that has been published in a section of the media.”
However, he further added that he has a plot of land at Baidalpara Tiniali on Agia Road in Ward No. IX. “I have a patta land at Baidalpara Road Tiniali and on Thursday evening I wanted to do earth filling work in a part of the land which lies in a very low-lying area.”
He further remarked, “The said land does not belong to any religious institutions and I have all the documents with me. But, few anti-social elements are making such false allegations to foment communal tension so that they can derive maximum mileage out of it.”
It is reported that few Hindu youths had on Thursday night barred a truck carrying soil for earth filling work from offloading citing that the land belonged to a xatra or temple. However, the youths were oblivious of the fact that Rasid Alom possessed proper documents of the land.
The police have since seized the truck carrying soil and are keeping a “tight vigil on the disputed land”. Alom smells a rat in the entire episode and has said that “nefarious elements are trying to trigger communal tension in the otherwise peaceful district”.
Meanwhile, Babu Ali, owner of the truck, has alleged that the Hindu youths had demanded money from him earlier in the day (read on Thursday) while he was offloading soil at a government project site. The police are keeping a hawk eye to prevent any kind of communal tension.