'Taking Recourse To Communal Politics': Oppn Parties Slam Assam CM Himanta Sarma Over 'Miya' Remark

Opposition parties alleged that such communal statements by CM Himanta Sarma was a ploy to divert people’s attention from important issues.

Members of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) raise slogans during a protest against rise in prices of vegetables and other essential commodities, in Guwahati.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent remark on the Miya community has drawn severe criticism with the political opponents slamming the BJP leader for pinning the blame for soaring vegetable prices on the Muslim vendors. CM Sarma, while speaking on high price of vegetables in Guwahati, had said, the “Miya vendors charge more” and had the “Assamese vendors” sold vegetables, “they wouldn’t have fleeced their own people”. "I will clear all the footpaths of Guwahati and I urge our Assamese people to come forward and start their businesses," news agency PTI quoted Sarma as saying.

Reacting to his remarks, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal said such words are unbecoming of a chief minister, who is the head of a state, and his comments have “hurt” the Miya community.

"This is creating a communal divide. If it triggers any incident, the government and Himanta Biswa Sarma will be responsible for it," PTI quoted the AIUDF chief as saying.

On the other hand, Congress sniffed collusion between the BJP and AIUDF in playing the “communal card” ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. State chief Bhupen Kumar Borah alleged both Sarma and Ajmal were together in creating the ‘Miya-Assamese’ controversy to drive a communal divide between the people. "As elections are coming closer, both of them want to divide the people along religious lines. BJP has failed to address core issues like unemployment, price rise, illegal migrants, and to divert attention, they are indulging in such tactics," Borah said as reported by PTI.

Raijor Dal president and MLA Akhil Gogoi also alleged that such communal statements by CM Himanta Sarma was a ploy to divert people’s attention from important issues. "There are three main reasons for such communal politics. The BJP wants to divert attention from the draft delimitation proposal as the opposition has been able to lay bare before the people that the document doesn’t espouse the cause of the indigenous people. It also wants to sail through the elections through religious polarisation as it had failed to deliver on its promises. And also, to hide rift within old and new BJP members,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party spokesperson Hemanta Phukan also claimed communal politics is a tactic by the BJP to hide its failures. "The BJP has failed the people and to hide it, when elections are approaching, they are taking recourse to communal politics. Ajmal is also helping them in it. I urge the government to indulge in politics of development as people will reject such communal tactics," PTI quoted Phukan as saying.