Guwahati: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Rafiqul Islam on Monday hit out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of spreading fear and misinformation about the state’s Muslim population.
Speaking to ANI, Islam said, “The Chief Minister of Assam has been claiming for some time that the Muslim population in Assam has increased. By saying this, he is scaring people and spreading misinformation. He should know that Assam’s Muslims did not fall from the sky all of a sudden… If the Muslim birth rate is increasing, the government is responsible for it. After independence, every government, whether Congress or BJP, has betrayed Muslims… Give Muslims education, employment, facilities, awareness, and their share, and their population will decline. We also want that.”
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The AIUDF leader’s remarks come amid heightened political debate following the Centre’s move to set up a committee under the Demography Mission to study demographic changes in Assam , a move warmly welcomed by the state government.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday had hailed the Centre’s decision to constitute a High-Powered Committee on the Demography Mission, calling it a “historic and much-needed step” to address what he termed as a “national challenge” of illegal infiltration-driven demographic change in the state.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister wrote: “Assam has long been a victim of demographic change due to decades of illegal infiltration — a reality now reflected in the fact that over 38% of our population is Muslim. Announcement of a High-Powered Committee by Hon’ble Home Minister Sri @AmitShah on Demography Mission is a historic and much-needed step to scientifically study and counter this national challenge through the 3-D Policy — Detect, Delete and Deport.
A decisive move to protect identity, security, and cultural heritage. ”
Political observers say the issue of demography has once again become a flashpoint in Assam’s political landscape, with parties sharply divided over causes and consequences of the state’s changing population patterns.