18 Opposition parties in Assam have filed police complaint against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Eighteen Opposition parties in Assam have filed a police complaint against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his comments that he would not let 'Miya' Muslims "take over" Assam.
The joint forum of the 18 Opposition parties led by the Congress alleged Mr Sarma has encouraged hate among communities.
"There are 18 Opposition parties in Assam who have jointly filed a police complaint against the Chief Minister. Since the Lok Sabha poll results, the Assam Chief Minister s trying to create communal riots and making sensitive statements even inside the assembly. We will also write to the President," Assam Congress chief Bhupen Borah said.
Mr Sarma made the comment in the assembly when the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Nagaon and the state's law and order issue came up for discussion. The situation in Sivasagar district over alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking Muslims from Lower Assam was also raised.
When the Opposition charged him with being partisan, Mr Sarma said, "I will take sides. What can you do about it?" Amid the heated exchange, AIUDF MLA Rafikul Islam said people from Lower Assam would go to Upper Assam districts as it was their right, referring to a diktat by some organisations asking them to leave immediately.
"Why will people from Lower Assam go to Upper Assam? So that Miya Muslims can take over Assam? We won't let it happen," the Chief Minister said.
On Wednesday, Mr Sarma said he only repeated the same paragraph that former Governor SK Sinha had said.
"I have reiterated the same paragraphs that late Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi, the first Chief Minister of Assam, had said in the assembly. Former Chief Minister Bishnuram Medhi had also said it. I neither added nor modified it. If they want to file FIR (first information report), they have to file it against everybody. I pity them," Mr Sarma said.