Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep concern over the changing demographic landscape, stressing that the Muslim population in the State has now reached 40 per cent.
“Addressing the changing demography is a critical concern for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has surged to 40 per cent today, up from 12 per cent in 1951. We have witnessed significant changes in several districts. This is not merely a political issue but a matter of life and death,” stated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
Earlier, on July 1, Himanta Sarma highlighted concerns over criminal activities involving a segment of the population associated with a specific religion, following incidents post-Lok Sabha elections.
“I am not attributing criminal activities solely to any particular community, but recent incidents post the Lok Sabha elections have raised serious concerns,” CM Himanta had previously remarked.
In a separate instance on June 23, the Assam criticised the voting patterns of Bangladeshi-origin minorities, alleging they favoured the Congress over BJP-led developmental efforts.
“The minority community of Bangladeshi origin in Assam is known for communal activities, and they largely voted against the development initiatives led by BJP at both State and Central levels,” added Dr Himanta.
During the recent Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition secured 11 out of 14 seats in Assam, while Congress won the remaining three.
Himanta Sarma acknowledged setbacks in Northeastern States for BJP and allies, attributing some losses to religious dynamics influencing voter behaviour.
“A specific religion openly opposed our government in these States, where it commands significant followership. This factor, rather than political strategy, played a decisive role. It is a challenge against a religion,” asserted the BJP leader from Assam.
