Saralnama
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that individuals evicted from allegedly encroached land will have their names deleted from the voter lists of those areas to prevent their return. Speaking in Margherita, Tinsukia district, Sarma said the government aims to protect Upper and North Assam from infiltration, citing past failures to safeguard Lower and Central Assam. He claimed eviction drives are planned in Margherita, where 10,000 to 12,000 'unknown persons' have settled. Since 2016, 15,270 families, mostly Muslim, have been evicted from government land, with at least eight Muslims killed during these operations. Sarma reiterated that eviction will be followed by removal from electoral rolls to block re-entry. The Chief Minister has previously alleged demographic changes due to illegal settlers and vowed to fight what he termed 'land jihad.' Opposition parties have criticized the eviction drives and voter list revisions as politically motivated. The state government has intensified eviction drives across districts, affecting thousands of families amid ongoing debates on land rights and identity ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. (Updated 25 Aug 2025, 10:35 IST; source: link)