Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has once again ignited controversy with a divisive speech, targeting Muslim minorities in Jharkhand on July 17, 2024. It is important to keep in mind that this is not an isolated incident wherein CM Sarma have been observed spread a divisive ideology and hatred, but rather a continuation of a disturbing trend of using religion, caste, and community to split people apart, undermining India’s democratic fabric.
In his speech in Jharkhand, Sarma made remarks which can only be deemed as a blatant attempt to spread hate and fear-mongering. In his speech, Sarma claimed that the “changing demography” of Assam is a “matter of life and death” for him. He alleged that the Muslim population in Assam has skyrocketed from 12% in 1951 to 40% now, holding the said shift to be threatening to the state’s identity. However, it is crucial to point out that official census data paints a different story.
#WATCH | Ranchi | Assam CM & BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma says, “…Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and… pic.twitter.com/N11lpEGUfg
— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024
It is also essential to note that this is not just a matter of factual inaccuracy, but a deliberate attempt to stoke communal tensions and polarize voters. Sarma’s rhetoric is a stark reminder of the dangers of using religion and caste to divide people and undermine India’s democratic fabric.
In response to Sarma’s statement, INC State President of Assam, Bhupen Borah stated that “Himanta Biswa Sarma is making such statements now not out of concern but to hide his failures, be it in solving the flood and erosion problem, unemployment, daily wages of tea garden workers, or granting Scheduled Tribe status to six communities.”
Rajyasabha Member from Trinamool Congress party, Sushmita Dev, also criticized Sarma’s misleading remarks by stating that “I want to remind the CM that the Government of India was to conduct the census in 2021, which it did not do on the pretext of COVID. So, from where did this 40 per cent figure come?”
It seems that bigotry of the @BJP4India has increased manifolds despite the 2024 results.
The narrative on change in Demography in Assam, religious identity of shops owners in UP, targeting the development of communities in Bengal who don’t vote for these bigots, are all aimed… pic.twitter.com/FdoyGHR7wl
— Sushmita Dev সুস্মিতা দেব (@SushmitaDevAITC) July 18, 2024
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