A local reporter became the latest target of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s communal rhetoric as the CM attempted to dodge his question about the ongoing hill cutting in his constituency Jalukbari by referring to his identity.
The CM had earlier blamed hill cutting by the University of Science and Technology in Meghalaya for waterlogging in Guwahati, while using terms like “flood jihad”. The USTM is a private university run by a Bengali Muslim, Mahbubul Hoque, and is situated on a hill.
On Wednesday, a video purportedly recorded outside the Assam assembly, showed reporter Shah Alam, from local web portal NewzNow, asking Sarma about reports suggesting hill cutting in Mandakata area. In response, Sarma suggested that the reporter had asked the question to protect USMT and Hoque. “Why are you trying to protect USTM? What is the reason? Do you receive advertisements from them?”
The CM then asked the reporter’s name, and as Alam identified himself, Sarma said: “You people, Shah Alam and USTM’s Mahbubul Hoque, the way you all have connected things, will we even survive? I would ask Shah Alam if we’ll even survive in Assam for long? I am asking with a smile on my face: Shah Alam and Mahbubul Hoque need to explain whether we will be able to live in Assam or not!”
Sarma’s remark was a veiled reference to what he often claims: Muslims posing threat to “indigenous” people of Assam. In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Sarma said that the changing demographic landscape in the state has disturbed Hindu-Muslim population balance, leaving the “indigenous” people feeling threatened in about 13 districts.
Recently, he also said that the state government will soon introduce a law to counter “land jihad” by a particular community, under which Hindus and Muslims buying each other’s land in the state will have to secure government permission.
This story was originally published in newslaundry.com. Read the full story here.
