On October 31, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) filed a complaint with the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) against serial hate offender Deepak Sharma, after he made derogatory statements and spewed hate against the “Miya Muslims” in Assam in the instigating video that has been uploaded on Facebook.
Recently, Shiladitya Dev who is a BJP leader and previously a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Hojai constituency of Assam, has in the impugned video, unleashed words that were inciteful, provoking the wider community in the name of ‘Miya Museum’. After the inauguration of the museum on October 23, Shiladitya Dev, an influential political personage affiliated with the ruling dispensation, the next day, on October 24, indulged in brazen hate speech which violates Indian criminal law.
He started his diatribe with, “Assam is filled with Miyas, so why there is need for a Miya Museum, it should be set on fire and set ablaze.” This was a brazen incitement to targeted violence. He then continued, “After the CAA protest, one section of the community wants Miya Museum in Srimanta Shankardev Kalakhetrya, specially one MLA.” This reference to one MLA, by Dev was meant to target Sherman Ali Ahmed. He also spoke of the origin of today’s Muslim, “90-99 out of 100 Muslims in Assam have been basically converted from the Hindu religion; and even today, some of them still have a Tulsi plant in the verandas of their homes in upper Assam.” He also demanded that the authorities demolish the Miya Museum forthwith.
Dev also went on to say “Miya culture cannot be the culture of Assam so the Museum cannot be built here. The country was divided for Miyas on the basis of religion and, so if they want to build any such Museum then they should build it in Bangladesh or Pakistan. We won’t have any objections then.” Continuing with his diatribe, he said “Lungi Topi (the lower garb and skull cap) cannot be their identity, and indigenous Muslim also do not wear that Lungi and Topi.” He alleged that Miya Muslim people trying to establish Arabic Culture in Assam!
This is not the first time that Shiladitya Dev has found himself in trouble over his comments. In Aug 2020, multiple FIRs had been filed against him by several groups and individuals for particularly inciteful speeches. At the time, he had even been widely condemned by Assamese society when he had dared dubbed Assamese litterateur who happened to be a Muslim, an “intellectual jihadi.”
The complaint filed by CJP highlights the statements made by Shiladitya Dev are a grave threat to peace, unity and integrity of India. Especially so, in view of the sensitive atmosphere today when aggression is being unleashed on sections of our population.
A copy of the complaint may be viewed here:
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