Salman Khurshid voices concern over administrative arbitrariness and the Election Commission’s role: Sharply criticises government over NRC, evictions, and encounters in Assam
By Dalim Phukan
Guwahati/Assam, Oct 2 : Senior Congress leader, former Union Minister, and eminent jurist Salman Khurshid lashed out at the state and central governments over the independence of the Election Commission, harassment in the name of citizenship in Assam, evictions, fake encounters, and hate speeches delivered by certain leaders.
Addressing a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries and warmly congratulated Assam’s daughter Lovlina Borgohain for bringing glory to the state and the nation by clinching a gold medal in the 75 kg boxing event at the Asian Games.
Referring to the upcoming by-elections, he remarked that while local issues such as drinking water, electricity, health, and road safety are undoubtedly vital, several fundamental questions concerning the entire country and Indian democracy are intertwined with these elections.
During the press meet, Khurshid expressed grave concern over the internal functioning of the Election Commission. He alleged that decisions were recently taken unilaterally by the Chief Election Commissioner overriding the dissent of two Election Commissioners—a matter that is currently under consideration before the Supreme Court. Quoting Rahul Gandhi, Khurshid stated, “No matter how high a constitutional position you hold, no one is above the law; everyone must remain accountable before the law.”
Directly targeting BJP candidate for the by-election and former District Commissioner Devashish Sharma, Khurshid said that an officer who served as District Commissioner until recently took decisions to harass and deport legitimate Indian citizens for political expediency.
The courts have also questioned the current status of two women who were expelled to Bangladesh as a result of such decisions. Describing the ruling party’s nomination of such an official as deeply tragic, Khurshid noted that, in contrast, Congress candidate and former MLA Sibamoni Bora possesses a proven administrative background and a track record of transparent, positive public service.
Raising the issue of the Assam Accord and the NRC, Khurshid recalled the role of late Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Gogoi had initiated the NRC update process based on the Assam Accord with 1971 as the cut-off year, regarding it as his “own baby.” Carried out between 2013 and 2019 under the direct monitoring of the Supreme Court without discrimination on grounds of religion or caste, the process included 3.11 crore people while leaving out 19.06 lakh. However, even after seven years, the 3.11 crore included individuals have not been issued National Identity Cards under Rule 13, nor have the 19 lakh excluded individuals received the mandatory rejection slips required to file appeals. Khurshid warned that any attempt by the BJP government to tamper afresh with the NRC constitutes a blatant contempt of the Supreme Court’s directives.
Expressing severe indignation over the ongoing eviction drives across the state, Khurshid cited the incidents in Goalpara, Golaghat, and the Rengma Reserve Forest, alongside the eviction carried out at Kachutoli in Sonapur in September 2024, which rendered nearly 2,000 people homeless and resulted in the deaths of two individuals, Haidar Ali and Zubair Ali, in police firing. He noted that the courts have also rejected the misuse of the Disaster Management Act to carry out such evictions. Calling the disenfranchisement of displaced individuals and the denial of voter registration at relocated sites a clear violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, Khurshid remarked, “Demolishing homes and evicting people is sheer cruelty, but snatching away their voting rights and stripping them of their citizenship thereafter is the ultimate blow to democracy.”
Highlighting the Supreme Court’s recent stance on police encounters, Khurshid asserted that fake encounters and custodial deaths have no place in a civilised society. Citing data submitted before the court, he stated that 171 police encounters took place in the state between May 2021 and August 2022 alone, resulting in 56 deaths, 4 custodial deaths, and injuries to 145 individuals. He called upon conscientious citizens of the state to raise their voices against this encounter-driven politics being carried out in utter disregard for the rule of law.
He further questioned videos showing the Chief Minister remarking about pushing people into Bangladesh under the cover of darkness, as well as official data shared in the Legislative Assembly stating that 3,697 people were deported over the past two years without due process or formal notices. Likewise, he termed the hate speeches delivered by leaders holding high constitutional offices to divide society deeply unfortunate, stressing that treating all citizens equally is the constitutional duty of any administration.
