In the aftermath of the Paikan eviction violence, Sarma has accused Congress of incitement—prompting Assam Police to consider summoning Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge for questioning.BY
PC Bureau
July 19, 2025 — Tensions between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma reached a new low this week after a deadly clash in the Paikan Reserve Forest. Sarma on Friday blamed Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for inciting the violence, suggesting that both leaders may soon be summoned by police as part of an ongoing investigation.
On July 17, an eviction drive in Goalpara district turned violent when police and forest officials attempted to clear approximately 140 hectares of what authorities described as illegally encroached land. Resistance from local residents—many living in makeshift shelters—led to violent clashes. Protesters allegedly pelted stones and attacked with sticks, prompting police to open fire. One person was killed, another critically injured, and 21 security personnel were also hurt.
The deceased has been identified as either Kutubuddin Sheikh or Shakuar Hussain, depending on varying accounts.
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Chief Minister Sarma claimed the violence was a direct result of political provocation. “Rahul Gandhi came to Assam and encouraged encroachers,” he said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting in Guwahati. “This tragedy is the disastrous legacy of that visit.”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the police were examining whether the allegedly provocative speeches made by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were responsible for violence at the Paikan Reserve Forest in Goalpara district.https://t.co/HystgHAam8
— The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) July 18, 2025
Sarma posted on social media that police had fired “in self-defense” after being attacked. He also said Rahul Gandhi and Kharge may be summoned for questioning over the events that unfolded.
The comments came a day after Gandhi and Kharge addressed a Congress rally in Palasbari. Gandhi had sharply criticized Sarma, accusing him of “acting like a king,” and vowed to send him to jail if the Congress came to power. He also promised to rehabilitate those displaced by eviction drives—remarks Sarma claims emboldened illegal settlers.
The very next day, the eviction in Paikan resumed and turned deadly.
Sarma condemned the Congress leaders’ “irresponsible rhetoric” and accused them of politicizing forest conservation. “They are trying to make forest protection a political issue, which is dangerous,” he said.
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The Congress, meanwhile, may find itself under legal scrutiny but could gain political traction among marginalized settler communities—many of whom view the evictions as targeted and unjust.
The Paikan incident has now emerged as a key flashpoint in Assam politics, exposing deep tensions between land rights, environmental protection, and ethnic conflict. With state elections on the horizon, the battle over narrative and blame is only intensifying.
