A case has been filed in a local court seeking action against nine officials from the Assam Forest Department who have been accused of threatening to use bulldozers to displace Muslims in the Muslim-majority village Butukusi unless they vote for the BJP in the Karimganj parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
The accused officials, including M.K. Yadava, the special chief secretary of forest, stand accused of coercing villagers to vote for the BJP candidate, Kripanath Mallah, under the threat of eviction using bulldozers, according to The Wire.
The petition, filed by residents Soidul Ali, Dilwar Hussain, Mojmun Nehar, and Alimun Nesa, details instances of alleged intimidation and abuse by the forest officials and Assam Police personnel.
The complaint describes a systematic campaign of intimidation spanning several days, with officials reportedly visiting households in Butukusi and neighbouring villages, threatening residents to vote for the BJP candidate or face eviction from their homes.
According to the petitioners, the accused officials, accompanied by armed police and forest guards, have been going door-to-door, photographing residences, and verbally abusing residents with derogatory language. The villagers claim that they have been labelled as "refugees" and "Bengalis from Bengal," adding insult to the coercion tactics employed by the officials.
Furthermore, the petitioners assert that the accused officials have identified houses built on forest land, some of which have stood for "the last 50-60 years," indicating a targeted approach to intimidate long-standing residents.
The allegations against M.K. Yadava, a controversial figure in the Indian Forest Service (IFS), add another layer of complexity to the situation. Yadava's re-appointment as the special chief secretary of forest by the BJP-led government, despite previous controversies surrounding his tenure, has sparked outrage and raised questions about political influence in administrative appointments.
Among the accusations against Yadava are allegations of corruption, including the misuse of funds for tiger conservation and inflated bills during official visits. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding Yadava's alleged involvement in tampering with electronic voting machines (EVMs) during his tenure at AEDCL-AMTRON, a state-owned company responsible for supplying EVMs for elections, The Wire report said.
In response to inquiries from local media outlets, the State Election Commission and the Election Commission have yet to provide a formal response. The cancellation of several trains heading to Silchar on voting day by the North East Frontier Railway has further fuelled speculation about potential disruptions to the voting process.
Meanwhile, political tensions run high in the Karimganj constituency, with BJP's Kripanath Mallah seeking re-election amidst stiff competition from Congress' candidate Hafiz Rashid Choudhury. With the prospect of a Muslim candidate representing the community in the Lok Sabha, the stakes are high for both parties in this closely watched electoral contest.