Guwahati: A section of Assamese Muslims from Brahmaputra Valley Civil Society has condemned the recent statements made state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against the minority community. They have also demanded that the Minister should be no longer be allowed to serve.
Senior advocate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury said that Sarma is trying to create fear in the minds of the people with his remarks on Muslims and alleged that he has a 'hidden agenda' with the AIUDF chief to divide Assam on communal lines.
On Friday, defending the Modi government's controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Sarma said that its implementation is a must for the state to ensure it does not face a 'Kashmir-like' situation in the future. The Finance Minister then went on to claim that Muslims dwelling in Assam are descendants of Mohammed Ali Jinnah and the bill will protect 17 important assembly seats from going to All India United Democratic Front led by Badruddin Ajmal.
“Anyone is free to support or oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 as it’s a democratic right. But the dirty politics that some are playing to divide the Assamese society should be condemned. Sarma termed Muslims of Assam as descendants of Md Ali Jinnah and that the NRC exercise is being done to chase away Jinnah’s family from Assam," Choudhury said.
The advocate demanded that Sarma should be booked under 295 of the IPC and a suo moto case should have been filed against him for such objectionable and unconstitutional statements.
“Both Ajmal and Himanta have a secret understanding and people of Assam should be careful of these two leaders,” he added.
Former Assam Medical College Principal, Dr Taufiqur Rahman Borbora criticised both the leaders while recalling his association with them.
He said, “Sarma keeps saying that there are 52 Islamic countries for Indian Muslims to take shelter in. This hurts us and we have never accepted Ajmal as our leader. Ajmal is not a good Muslim, and I know this personally. He only attracts uneducated people with his ‘jhaar-phook’.”
The irked community has also demanded the withdrawal of the sedition cases filed against litterateur Dr Hiren Gohain, journalist Manjit Mahanta and RTI activist Akhil Gogoi.
“The Sonowal government has mistreated respected personalities of Assam by imposing sedition charges against them and calling them anti-national. If the government does not withdraw the cases, we will join protests to save democracy and secularism,” said Choudhury.
Meanwhile, anti-bill and anti-government protests continue across Assam and other northeastern states with activists calling for more rallies after Magh Bihu. In the latest series of protests on Sunday, chief minister Sarbananada Sonowal was shown black flags in Jorhat when his convoy made way to Kaziranga University amidst tight security. Protesters shouting "Sarbananda, Go Back" were detained by police
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