Bangladeshi Hindus refugees, Muslims infiltrators’: Assam CM draws ire
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma triggered controversy after making discriminatory remarks on Bangladeshi migrants, stating that Hindus should be treated as refugees while Muslims are “infiltrators” who must be deported.
According to Kashmir Media Service,speaking during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign, Sarma said, “Bangladeshi Muslims are one community, and Bangladeshi Hindus are another. These are two separate communities.” He asserted that Hindu refugees fleeing persecution are regularised as Indian citizens under the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, while Muslim entrants are illegal “infiltrators.”
“When we say infiltrators, we are referring to Bangladeshi Muslims, not Hindus. Hindus are refugees, not infiltrators,” Sarma said, reiterating the BJP’s position. He alleged that “unchecked infiltration” of Bangladeshi Muslims is causing a demographic shift and is a threat to national security, claiming the Muslim population in Assam has reached nearly 40%. He vowed a “relentless crackdown,” noting that 20 illegal Bangladeshis were “pushed back” in the past 24 hours and over 400 have been deported in recent months.
Sarma also sparked another row after responding to remarks on religious sites, saying, “Those who speak of Kaaba and Medina should leave India and go live there.”
The chief minister criticised the Trinamool Congress for putting both groups in “one basket,” claiming this propagates misconceptions. Sarma’s remarks, drawing a distinction based on religion in contravention of secular principles, have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and rights groups.
