GUWAHATI, Jan 30: A political firestorm has ignited in Assam that is likely to soon reach the highest corridors of Indian justice. It began in Digboi on Tuesday, when Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a speech that shattered the usual diplomatic veneer of governance.
The Chief Minister did not just talk about policy; he spoke of a targeted social squeeze. He urged citizens to actively “trouble” the Miya Muslims (Bengali-speaking Muslims). Sarma’s suggestions were startling: he told citizens to underpay Miya rickshaw pullers, suggesting that if the fare was Rs 5, they should only pay Rs 4.
Sarma openly boasted that 4-5 lakh “Miya votes” would be deleted during the Special Intensive Revision process, declaring it his duty to make them “suffer” to protect Assam’s demographic integrity.
The backlash was swift and reached the Supreme Court of India.
On Wednesday, Assam Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia appealed directly to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), pleading for suo motu cognisance against Sarma. He argued that the state government was weaponising administrative processes to disenfranchise a specific community.
On Friday, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board joined the fray, labeling Sarma’s rhetoric “anti-Muslim and dangerous” in a formal letter to both the CJI and President Droupadi Murmu.
In addition, activist Harsh Mander and various political groups have filed police complaints against Sarma, alleging he is promoting hatred and social discrimination.
Sarma remained defiant. Standing his ground, the Assam CM on Thursday invoked a 2005 Supreme Court ruling on “demographic invasion,” claiming his words were a shield against illegal migration, not a sword against legal citizens. (Agencies)
