Silchar:Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma on Saturday stepped up his campaign against the state’s “Mia” community, saying the term was a reference to Bangladeshi immigrants and that he had declared “war” to drive them out of the state.
Assam Chief Minister Vishwa Sharma addressing a rally in Dibrugarh. (Assam CMO/File)”MIA means Bangladeshi infiltrators, and we have decided to go as far as possible to send each and every one of them back from Assam. It is a war and a matter of life and death for us,” Sarma told a public rally on Saturday.
Sarma has repeatedly used the word “mias” on public platforms in recent weeks, prompting criticism from opponents.
On 27 January, he urged the people of Assam to “pursue” members of the Miao community and continue to “harass” them. “If we don’t do this, the intruders will think that the Assamese people are weak. We are doing this for our existence,” he said.
In recent days, Sarma also claimed that 4-5 lakh Miah voters would be excluded from the electoral roll during the ongoing special revision (SR) process in the state.
On Friday, Sarma said Assam needed polarized politics, warning that otherwise the tribal population would face extinction in the next 30 years. “They are taking away our land, opportunity and political power. They are doing love jihad, land jihad and education jihad. If we don’t stand up for ourselves, our future generations will have nothing,” he said.
The chief minister’s comments led veteran Congress leader Devabrata Saikia to take action against Sarma on Wednesday, saying his statement disrespected the Constitution.
Senior Gauhati High Court lawyer and Congress leader Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Chowdhury said the Chief Minister’s comments could incite communal tension. “He is directly asking Hindus to target Muslims. This may benefit the BJP politically in the upcoming assembly elections, but the society will suffer,” Chowdhury said.
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Congress leader Aminul Haque Lashkar, a former BJP MLA from 2016 to 2021, said an elected representative cannot dictate the functioning of the Election Commission and the chief minister must abide by constitutional status.
Social activist Harsh Mander filed a complaint with Delhi’s Hauz Khas police station on Saturday seeking registration of an FIR against Sarma under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
Sarma hit back. “Who is this Harsh Mander? I have seen many people like him. Such people came to Assam and destroyed NRC. If I was in power then, I would have taught him a lesson,” he said.
