By Muslim Mirror Staff
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has stirred controversy with his recent remarks regarding the ‘Miya’ community’s voting preferences. The ‘Miya’ community, comprising Bengali-speaking or Bengal-origin Muslims in Assam, found themselves at the center of a political storm as Sarma suggested that the BJP does not need their votes for the next decade. He stated that this exclusion is contingent upon certain reforms within the community, such as addressing child marriage.
In a recent statement to reporters, Sarma said, “BJP will do public welfare, and they will support us, but they don’t need to vote for us. There is no harm in supporting us. Let them shout ‘zindabad’ for Himanta Biswa Sarma, Narendra Modi, and BJP.”
However, he went on to clarify that his call for the community to withhold their votes was not permanent. “When elections come, I myself will request them not to vote for us. When you will follow family planning, stop child marriage, and shed fundamentalism, then you vote for us. To complete these, it will take 10 years. We will seek votes after 10 years, not now,” Sarma said.
The chief minister outlined specific conditions that ‘Miya’ community members should meet before considering voting for the BJP. These conditions include having no more than two or three children, ensuring their daughters receive an education, refraining from child marriage, and embracing Sufism while abandoning ‘fundamentalism’.
“When these conditions are fulfilled, I will go with you to ‘char’ to seek votes,” Sarma told the journalists.
Responding to concerns about the lack of proper schools in some ‘char’ areas, Sarma promised immediate action. “It can’t happen that minority students won’t get a chance to study. We will open seven colleges in minority areas in the coming days,” he said.