Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that Hindus had "awakened" after a long time and should remain vigilant now. Sarma said the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya minimised the "injustice" meted out to Hindus to some extent, but the Krishna Janmabhoomi issue and Gyanvapi Masjid matter remain unresolved so far.
"Aaj Hindu khatre mein hai [Hindus are at risk today]. In my state, we shall not let any 'Alam' hoard so much money," Himanta Biswa Sarma said, referring to Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam's arrest in a money laundering case on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Himanta Biswa Sarma said Hindus need to be active. "Hindu ko thanda mat karo. Hindu abhi garam hua hai, garam rehne do. Abhi logo ne 'Jai Shri Ram' bolna shuru kiya hai bahut saalo baad. [Don't calm Hindus down. Hindus have just woken up. Let them rise. They have just started saying 'Jai Shri Ram']. These secular people will try to cool us down and not let us chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. Can they stop offering namaaz," he said, adding, "Hindus will build the nation and bring it glory."
Referring to the Places of Worship Act, Himanta said: "Congress made a law so that no court can adjudicate on the ownership of Krishna Janmabhoomi and Kashi Gyanvapi Masjid. Should we accept such a law that prevents us from building a temple at the place of our God's birth?"
Speaking about the concept of secularism in India, he said that the nation needs to discard the Western notions of the principle. "Our nation developed the concept of secularism on the basis of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam [the world is one family]'," he said adding, "We believe there is no place for a personal law of any community in our secular country."
"The Muslim community follows Sharia... This leads to child marriages getting registered under the Muslim Registration Act. Men are allowed polygamy. Women do not get any share in their fathers' property. But our secularism teaches us to oppose injustice meted out to our mothers and daughters even in the Muslim community," Himanta said.
He also said that a Uniform Civil Code is much needed in the country and that it is our Constitutional responsibility.
'Jharkhandis Will Become Minorities In 20 Years If...': Himanta Biswa Sarma
Speaking about illegal migration in Jharkhand, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the indigenous population of Jharkhand would be reduced to a minority very soon if illegal influx is allowed to continue. "Assam and Bengal made the mistake of not securing their borders 40 years ago. Congress did not anticipate this problem back then. Today, the number of infiltrators from Bangladesh has risen to 1.25 crore... The Assamese have lost their identity. Jharkhand should be careful. Do not let Rohingyas enter Jharkhand," he said.
He said nearly 40 MLAs have got entry into the Assam assembly. "They are becoming ministers, Speakers, and district magistrates. We are fighting for our existence... Jharkhand Police and the public need to chase them away. It's a cancer." He said it is not a political issue but rather a matter of identity.