Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was addressing a BJP Mahila Morcha meet (File)
Assam BJP will launch a massive campaign against "love jihad" cases ahead of 2021 state elections, minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the BJP's go-to man in the northeast, declared today. At a meeting of the party's Mahila Morcha wing in Dibrugarh, Mr Sarma claimed social media was the "new menace" and Assamese girls were "falling prey to love jihad".
"Social media is (the) new menace since it is helping in promoting love jihad. Through social media Assamese girls are falling prey to love jihad... this is a cultural aggression on our society and later these girls might have to face talaq ..." he said.
"When the BJP comes back to power we will make sure that if any Assamese girl is harassed or becomes victim of love jihad and is trolled on social media, by people of hidden identity, we will put them in prison," the minister declared.
Mr Sarma also alleged that "people from the culture of Ajmal (a reference to AIUDF Lok Sabha MP Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, a noted Islamic cleric) were behind "love jihad" in Assam. Mr Ajmal's AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) is seen to have massive support from Bengali Muslims in Lower Assam, who are often branded as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
"500 or 600 years ago the nation was facing Aurangzeb and Babar. Now we have a similar challenge... in this modern era we have a problem like Ajmal. Our (Assamese) society is facing a threat from the culture of Ajmal. In Lower and Middle Assam, the culture of Assamese Satras have been destroyed," Mr Sarma raged.
"The sentinel of Ajmal started its encroachment drive and even tried to enter Upper Assam. Against this backdrop we assumed power under (Chief Minister Sarbananda) Sonowal's leadership," he added, listing out the government's achievement since.
Mr Sarma even alleged that rhino poaching Kaziranga was the fault of Bengali Muslims, claiming that several had been arrested on such charges in the past couple of years.
Claiming that 65 per cent of the state's population, "who are of Indian origin", would defeat the 35 per cent "from Ajmal's culture", Mr Sarma also declared the "battle of Saraighat is not over".
The BJP had called the 2016 election by that name - a reference to a naval battle fought in 1671 between the Mughal Empire and the Ahom Kingdom.
"Battle of Saraighat is not over yet. It will only get over after every single person from the culture of Ajmal is uprooted politically," Mr Sarma said.