Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday made another controversial statement concerning Bengali-origin Muslims in the state. Speaking at an event in Sivasagar district, Sarma invoked Mahatma Gandhi, advocating policies aimed at creating an environment where these communities “cannot continue to live” in Assam.
The Chief Minister claimed that the state government removes 20–30 people from Assam every day, but added, “It is not possible to line everyone up and send them to Bangladesh by train.” Instead, he suggested creating circumstances that would compel people to leave the state voluntarily.
Sarma further asserted that encroachments on nearly 1.5 lakh bighas of land have already been removed in Assam. “Those without land cannot stay in Assam. Don’t give them land, vehicles, rickshaws, or carts. Then they will leave on their own,” he said.
The CM claimed that his approach is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s concepts of “non-cooperation” and “civil disobedience,” urging the people of Assam to adopt this method.
In his remarks, Sarma also drew a distinction between “Miya” and “Muslim,” saying, “Do not harass Muslims in the name of Miya, and do not protect Miyas in the name of Muslims.” It is noteworthy that in Assam, the term “Miya” is considered derogatory for Bengali-origin Muslims.
These remarks come at a time when political activity in the state is intensifying ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. On the same day, the Assam Congress launched a campaign titled “Who is HBS?”, accusing the CM and his family of illegal possession of 12,000 bighas of land.
State Congress President Gaurav Gogoi, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and AICC Assam in-charge Jitendra Singh claimed that the party’s internal inquiry revealed violations of land-related laws. To gather public information, the Congress also launched a dedicated website.
Hours after the allegations, CM Sarma announced plans to file civil and criminal defamation cases against Gogoi, Baghel, Jitendra Singh, and Debabrata Saikia.
In recent months, Sarma’s statements have repeatedly sparked controversy. Earlier, during an event in Digboi, he reportedly said that his objective during the special review of voter lists was to “trouble Miya people,” urging the public to “disturb them.”
Human rights activist Harsh Mander has filed a police complaint regarding these remarks, while Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind has approached the Supreme Court, terming the statements communal and unconstitutional.
Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam are often socially and economically marginalized and are frequently labeled as “outsiders” or “illegal immigrants.” The Chief Minister’s latest comments have reignited debates in the state over minority rights and constitutional values.
