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Dispur: In a move drawing sharp criticism, the BJP Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, widely seen as a hardline Hindutva figure, has skipped campaigning in 25 Muslim-majority constituencies, boasting he doesn\u2019t require their support in the state assembly elections this week.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, the constituencies avoided by Sarma are home to large populations of Bengali-speaking Muslims. In a media interview, he remarked, \u201cShould I ask for their votes? As of now, we are not thinking of taking those votes. That is why I have not even campaigned in 25 constituencies where Bengali-speaking Muslims have a large influence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The remarks have drawn attention, given that Muslims make up around 34% of the Assam\u2019s population. Critics argue the statement raises serious concerns about representation and accountability, with the chief minister openly indicating a lack of outreach to a significant section of the electorate.<\/p>\n
Political observers suggest that the move may reflect a calculated electoral strategy aimed at consolidating the Hindu vote. However, it has also intensified debate over inclusivity and the role of identity in democratic politics.<\/p>\n
During his tenure, Sarma has seen several controversial measures and actions perceived to disproportionately impact Muslims. These include large-scale eviction drives in Muslim-populated under the guise of anti-encroachment operations, the implementation of policies targeting so-called \u201cillegal immigrants,\u201d which have raised concerns about profiling of Bengali-speaking Muslims, and rhetoric around demographic changes that opposition leaders and civil society groups say contributes to communal polarisation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dispur: In a move drawing sharp criticism, the BJP Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, widely seen as a hardline Hindutva figure, has skipped campaigning in 25 Muslim-majority constituencies, boasting he doesn\u2019t require their support in the state assembly elections this week. According to Kashmir Media Service, the constituencies avoided by Sarma are home …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":198072,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-198071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t