BJP-ruled Assam CM Criticized Over Controversial Remarks about Muslims

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sushmita Dev has criticized Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of BJP-ruled Assam, for spreading false information and attempting to polarize the country with his statements about the state’s Muslim population.

Sarma claimed in Ranchi that Assam’s Muslim population had surged to 40% due to infiltration from Bangladesh. This statement has sparked a political storm. “The Muslim population in my state is now 40 percent, which was 12 percent in 1951. This is not a political issue for me, but a question of life and death,” Sarma stated.

However, TMC leader Dev countered Sarma’s claims on social media, accusing him of spreading misinformation. “He is saying that in 1951 there were 12% Muslims in Assam, which has increased to 40% today. But government figures show that in 1951 itself there were 25% Muslims in Assam. I want to remind the chief minister that the census was to be done in 2021, which has not been done to date. Where did the figure of 40% come from?” Dev asked.

Dev warned against using inflammatory statements to provoke religious tensions and urged the chief minister to withdraw his false claims. She emphasized that communal politics has been rejected by the people, as evident from the 2024 election results.

Sarma has made similar controversial statements in the past. When Congress candidate Rokibul Hussain won the Dhubri Lok Sabha seat with a record margin of 10.12 lakh votes, Sarma claimed that his victory was a threat to Assam’s culture.