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Facing questions about bulk and false objections made against the inclusion of names in the electoral roll in Assam’s Special Revision process, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa has dialled up his rhetoric against the state’s Bengali-origin Muslims, declaring that it is his “work” to “create hardship for Miyas” and “for the next thirty years, we have to practice politics of polarisation if we want to live”.
The Special Revision process in Assam has been mired in controversy after large-scale objections have been filed against the inclusion of large numbers of people in the electoral during the claims and objections, many of which falsely claim that the individuals have died or have permanently shifted from the polling booth concerned. With the Opposition raised an alarm over alleged efforts to leave out large numbers of valid voters from final rolls, Sarma claimed that the objections have been filed by BJP workers on his orders to “to trouble Miyas” – a term used pejoratively to refer to Bengali-origin Muslims in the state.
“Whichever complaints have happened have been on my orders. I myself have told the BJP people that they should keep giving complaints against Miyas. There is nothing to hide about this. I have held meetings, I have done video conferences, and I have told people that, wherever possible, they should fill Form 7s. So that they have to run around a little, are troubled, so that they understand that the Assamese people are still living. If the Congress has objections, so be it,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Making false objections in Form 7 of the Election Commission of India, which is the relevant form for the deletion of a name in the existing electoral, is an offence with a punishment of imprisonment up to a year or a fine or both.
Asked about attempts by the Opposition to lodge FIRs on this, he said, “Whoever can give trouble in any way should give, including you. In a rickshaw, if the fare is Rs 5, give them Rs 4. Only if they face troubles will they leave Assam… These are not issues. Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP are directly against Miyas. What is the point of telling us that these are issues? We are saying it openly; we are not hiding it. Earlier, people were scared; now I myself am encouraging people to keep giving troubles. If you don’t trouble them, yesterday I found that they have even reached Duliajan (a town in Eastern Assam). So you all should also trouble, and you should not do news that sympathise with them. There will be love jihad in your own house.”
Asked about polarisation in the state’s society, he said, “Assam is a polarised society, for the next 30 years we have to practice politics of polarisation if we want to live. If we want to surrender, then surrender. But, as an Assamese, I don’t want to surrender. I will fight, I will polarise. But polarisation is not between Hindu and Muslim; polarisation is between Assamese and Bangladeshi… We don’t fight with Assamese Muslims. We only fight with Bangladeshi Muslims.”
Before making these statements on Tuesday evening, he had made similar statements earlier in the day on the sidelines of an event in Digboi on the same issue, claiming that when a Special Intensive Revision is eventually held in Assam, “4-5 lakh Miya votes will have to be cut”.
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“What is vote chori? We are wanting to steal some votes of Miyas. Miyas should actually not even be able to vote here; they should vote in Bangladesh. We have made arrangements for them not to be able to vote in Assam. But this is a little preliminary. When the SIR comes to Assam, then we will have to cut 4-5 lakh Miya votes. The Congress can scold me as much as they want. My work is trouble Miyas. If Miyas are not troubled, they have come and reached Duliajan,” he said.
On his end, Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi branded Sarma “the Hindu Jinnah”.
