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Communalism Hate Speech Politics

EC issues show-cause notice to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for “communal” speech

The Election Commission has, in response to a complaint by Congress, issued a notice to the Assam CM for his comments against a Muslim minister during a speech in Chattisgarh. The CM, in his defence, has said that there was nothing inciteful in his comments.

Image Courtesy: ANI

On October 26, 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken steps against Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma for his controversial remarks that targeted Chhattisgarh’s minister, “for allegedly making communally charged statements and making unverified and distorted statements against a Congress leader in Chhattisgarh.” The Congress minister in question was Mohammad Akbar. Mohammed Akbar is a politician from the Indian National Congress and is supposedly the sole Muslim minister in the state and he represents Kawardha which is where Sarma was giving his speech. The EC issued a show-cause notice to Sarma and has asserted that he had violated the Model Code of Conduct which came into effect on October 9.

During his speech in Kawardha, Sarma took a seemingly communal and disrespectful dig at Akbar, stating, “When one Akbar arrives in a particular location, he brings along a hundred Akbars. Therefore, it’s crucial to remove him swiftly, or else the sanctity of Mata Kaushalya’s land will be compromised.” These remarks led to swift backlash and condemnation, with the Congress filing a complaint against Assam Chief Minister Sarma for his comments. The poll panel, in its notice to Sarma has reminded him of the specific provision in the poll code, especially the point that says, “No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”

However, a day after receiving the notice, Sarma defended his speech and argued that it was a “legitimate criticism” of the Chhattisgarh Minister Mohammed Akbar, “Congress has withheld the material information from the Hon’ble Election Commission that Mohammed Akbar is their candidate from Kawardha Constituency. Therefore legitimate criticism of a candidate does not amount to communal politics.”

The EC had asked Sarma to provide a response to the show-cause notice by 5 pm on October 30, and if there was failure to do so, the EC would be inclined to take further steps.

The upcoming Chhattisgarh assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on November 7 and 17 respectively have become the backdrop for this controversy and the CM of Assam has visited the state often, and has often made statements regarding the Muslim community with reportedly communal undertone. Similarly, in Bilaspur, on October 26, he gave the following speech.

“The people asked me, did you feel good after shutting Madrasas in Assam? I told them I have not done any better work in my life than this. What is happening today in Chhattisgarh? Everywhere the politics of conversion is taking place….Christians have given lump sum to Hindus and made them convert!”

Another Congress complaint against the CM

Furthermore, on September 20, Senior Assam Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia had filed an FIR against Himanta Biswa Sarma at the Nazira Model Police Station in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district. The FIR was based on the allegation that the Chief Minister’s speech was inciting violence and arson against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her family.

Mr. Saikia asserted that during the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Rally in Vidisha district of Madhya Pradesh on September 19, Assam’s Chief Minister employed “derogatory and inflammatory” language and further stated, “In a country governed by the rule of law, Himanta Sarma has taken electoral rhetoric to its ugliest form” and gave a “clear instigation towards violence and arson.”

More recently, in Haflong Assam, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, during an interaction with the public, singled out from the crowd one Muslim man, making gestures as if he was about to slap him, which the CM seemed to do with a smile on his face, following which he took a selfie with the man and proceeded to instruct him to go off quickly to Karimganj.

The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was earlier also in the news for having made an announcement about his government’s new directive which is aimed at curbing polygamy among government employees. He has stated that second marriages while the first spouse is still alive would not be permitted without the state’s explicit permission, irrespective of what any religious injunctions may deem permissible for the government employee who wants to marry again. Sarma further clarified that these directives are aligned with existing rules which haven’t been properly enforced previously.

 

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