'KarbIs' demand to evict people not possible due to court stay'

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the demand by the Karbi people to evict alleged Hindi-speaking encroachers from grazing lands cannot be accepted immediately, because of a stay by the Gauhati High Court.

- TDG NETWORK

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

He said that the situation in the violence-affected Kheroni area in West Karbi Anglong district in central Assam has improved, and no report of any untoward incident came from any part of district during the day.

The Karbi and Bihari communities have been at loggerheads in the district over allegations of encroachment on Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) and Professional Grazing Reserve (PGR) lands in the tribal belts by the Hindi-speaking people.

Two persons were killed, and at least 70 others, including over 60 police personnel, injured in violence during the last two days in Kheroni.

“A section of the Karbi people made demands to evict people living in VGR and PGR. There is a stay order by the Gauhati High Court in this regard. No one can ignore the court. If I try to do something, it will be contempt of court,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an official function here.