Forest area equal to Chandigarh cleared from encroachment: Assam Minister Pijush Hazarika

"Every month, we are evicting people who are residing illegally in the forest area. Already, we have cleared an area as big as Chandigarh but we will not stop here. Assam will be made free of such encroachment," Hazarika told ANI.

When asked about opposition parties boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27, Hazarika said, "They have nothing to do, in the last 10 years they haven't done anything positive and I don't know what they will be getting by boycotting such meetings."

Union Minister Piyush Goyal criticised the opposition for boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting scheduled for July 27, stating that personal enmity towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the reason behind their actions.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Goyal said, "I believe their (the opposition's) personal animosity towards PM Modi prevents them from considering the needs of their own people. Eight states, including Telangana, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, boycotted last year's NITI Aayog meeting, which focused on Viksit Bharat."

"They only talk about democracy while holding the Constitution, but their actions show they don't believe in it. They are arrogant about their family names. Misguided by the Congress party, the parties in the INDI Alliance are attempting to undermine the democratic system," added Goyal.

Another Union Minister, Bhupender Yadav, reacted to the opposition's call, saying, "It's unfortunate that Congress and other parties in the INDI Alliance are prioritising personal interests over public interest. NITI Aayog is an institution based on the idea of federalism, where developmental works are discussed."

"This boycott politics is unfortunate, especially concerning a forum like NITI Aayog, which is non-political and promotes cooperative federalism. It shows that these people are sidelining the public and their issues," he added. (ANI)