By Clarion India
Team Clarion
GUWAHATI — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has drawn sharp criticism for suggesting the introduction of stringent law on “Love Jihad” with the punishment of life term and curbs on land sale to Muslims.
Speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state executive meeting here on Sunday, the chief minister said: “At the time of elections, we had spoken about Love Jihad. In the coming days, we will bring a new law that will introduce life imprisonment as a penalty for Love Jihad cases,” he said.
‘Love Jihad’ is a bogey peddled by the Hindutva groups and the BJP of Hindu women being lured to embrace the Islamic faith. BJP governments in some states have brought in laws to curb conversion and interfaith marriages.
Sarma also said that the state would make the chief minister’s consent necessary for land transactions between Hindus and Muslims.
“Earlier, there was inter-religious land transfers. Hindus’ lands were bought by Muslims, Muslims’ lands were bought by Hindus. The government cannot prevent such transactions but it has decided that for the land of a Hindu to be bought by a Muslim and vice-versa, there can be land sale permission only after the chief minister’s consent is taken,” he said.
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal slammed Sarma over his remarks. “Every citizen of this country has a right to buy land in Assam. It is unfortunate that the chief minister has proposed to bring a law to restrict a section of people from buying land in the state. This is a gross injustice to the general people. Our party will vehemently oppose any such move by the government,” he said.
Ajmal asserted that Chief Minister Sarma wants to bring such a law only to appease Hindu voters which might help the BJP in the next assembly elections scheduled in 2026. The AIUDF leader also alleged that the chief minister has been trying to snatch the rights of Muslims enshrined in the Constitution of India.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.