Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has given a controversial statement regarding Muslims of Bengali origin (called ‘Miyas’). He publicly admitted that his job was to ‘harass’ such voters. And their ‘stealing votes’ So that they cannot vote in Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma created a political stir by saying during a press conference on Tuesday that when the process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) starts in the state, about four to five lakh ‘mias’ Voters’ names will be removed from the list. Sarma said in clear words that he has made such concrete arrangements so that these people are not able to vote in Assam.

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While answering a question, the Chief Minister even said, ‘Yes, we are trying to steal some Miyan votes. Ideally they should not be allowed to vote in Assam, but should vote in Bangladesh.” His statement has once again heated up the issue of migrants and citizenship in the state politics.

‘Mia’ Question on words and language of Chief Minister

‘Miya’ in Assam The term is often used to refer to Muslims of Bengali origin. However, it is considered a derogatory term often used to describe people who are accused of coming from Bangladesh without valid documents. The Chief Minister’s repeated use of this word and openly talking about harassing a community is giving rise to a new legal and ethical debate. Opposition parties and civil organizations have raised the question whether a person holding a constitutional post can use such discriminatory language?

SIR process and status of Election Commission

While the Chief Minister is talking about removing lakhs of names through special intensive revision, according to sources and official information, Assam is not included in the list of 12 states and union territories where the Election Commission is conducting such special intensive revision. Currently, the Election Commission is conducting only a regular special revision in Assam, which is similar to the normal update done every year. In such a situation, the Chief Minister’s claim that a large number of votes will be deducted through SIR appears to be different from the administrative reality.

Budget session and impact on national politics

This statement of Himanta Biswa Sarma has come at a time when the ‘Developed India-Ji Ram Ji Bill‘ And there is a standoff in Parliament regarding SIR. The opposition is continuously accusing the government of creating an atmosphere of suspense and fear in the election processes.

These latest statements of the Chief Minister of Assam are likely to create more uproar in the upcoming budget session. While on one hand Sarma is calling his step to protect the interests of the indigenous people of the state, the opposition parties are terming it as politics of polarization for electoral gains. The challenge for the administration now will be how to maintain a balance between the purity of the voter list and the democratic rights of the citizens.