Votes of at least 4 lakh Miyas (a derogatory term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam) will be struck off voter lists when a Special Intensive Revision is held in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said.
The remark comes months ahead of the Assembly polls in the Northeastern state. Sarma, who has been the state's Chief Minister since 2021, is now eyeing a second term and another big BJP win.
Unlike several other states, such as West Bengal, where a Special Intensive Revision is underway, Assam is in the middle of a Special Revision. Special Revision is a review of voter lists, but it is not as intensive and exhaustive as SIR.
Amid the ongoing Special Revision, the opposition in Assam has been raising issues with the exercise.
"We have taken this step so that Miyas cannot vote. But this is preliminary. When SIR comes to Assam, four to five lakh Miya votes will be struck off the voter list," Sarma said.
"Let the Congress abuse me. My job is to give trouble to Miya people. If Miya people don't suffer, they will come to Duliajan, Tinsukia. A few days back, I got a list of land transactions in Tinsukia. Hindus are selling more land, and Miya Muslims are buying it. If we are not careful now, when will we be?" he asked.
The influx of Bangladeshi refugees is a sensitive issue in Assam. The border area is considered porous due to the difficult terrain, and this has led to a large-scale influx over several decades. With New Delhi's ties with Dhaka nosediving in the aftermath of the regime change in Bangladesh, the border situation has become more tense, with Sarma recently saying that the state government is closely watching the border.
The opposition in Assam has alleged harassment of genuine citizens through the misuse of Form-7 - a legal provision that allows an elector to object to another elector's inclusion or seek deletion of another elector's name due to death or change of residence.
The Chief Minister trashed such criticism and said, "No Assamese is suffering due to Special Revision. If Miyas are facing difficulties in this regard, why should we be concerned?"
Sarma on Monday said voters must decide in the coming elections whether they want a government that "surrenders" before illegal immigrants or one that protects the state's identity and culture.
Comparing the 2011 census with the Census scheduled for 2027, the Chief Minister said the share of people of East Bengal origin in the state could rise to 40 per cent.
