'Muslims Following Law, Culture Face No Problem': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam claimed that Muslims who follow the nation's laws and customs "will face no problem".

According to PTI, Sarma claimed that "everything in Bharat will become Bharatiya" when Azharuddin sings in appreciation of Rabindranath Tagore, referring to a Muslim journalist who was present during his press conference on the sidelines of a program here.

"We have been saying that the Muslims who think Bharat is their own are with us. If they are in Bharat, they have to abide by the law and culture of the land. Then there is no problem. You will stay in Barak and listen to the Bangladesh radio; it cannot happen. You should listen to Bharat's radio," he said.

Asked by a journalist about developmental activities in the area, the CM said everything will be taken care of.

PTI reported that Sarma then sought to know the name of the journalist, who introduced himself as Azharuddin. This prompted the chief minister to add with a laugh, "It is because your name is Azharuddin, you are asking such questions. That's why something is wrong with you."

"When Azharuddin will sing 'joygaan' (songs of praise) of Rabindranath Tagore, everything in Bharat will become Bharatiya. Till Azharuddin speaks in favour of Karimganj, it won’t happen," he said, referring to changing the name of Karimganj district to Sribhumi.

"Azharuddin should also stand in favour of Tagore, then Hindu-Muslims will become one," he said.

"He was a big cricket player," Sarma remarked, shaking hands with the journalist and mentioning the former captain of the Indian cricket team of the same name.  However, he ultimately engaged in match manipulation.  According to the chief minister, Bengali Hindus in Assam are completely safe and have not experienced any issues since he assumed power.

He claimed that since all Hindus are one, it was incorrect to categorise them as Assamese, Bengali, or Tamil.

When asked why Hindus were not included in the most recent version of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), he responded, "Leave the matter to me."  Bengali-speaking Hindus have been living "most comfortably" in the state for the past ten years, according to Sarma's statement on Sunday.

He also claimed that his government has been foiling attempts by Bangladeshis to enter the country illegally.

"We have been resolving all issues faced by Hindu Bengalis one by one. We ensured that they got their Aadhaar cards back. We have stopped slapping new citizenship cases against them," Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme here on Sunday.

"I don't think any previous government has done as much as I am doing. But everything has to be done in a process, else the court will stop it," he added.

Reportedly, asserting that all issues between Assamese and Bengali-speaking people have died down, he claimed that Hindus identify themselves by their religion, and not by language anymore.

Asked about the number of illegal Bangladeshis who have been pushed back at the international border, Sarma said, "It is not proper to give figures...When the time comes, we will give the figures." He said that Bangladeshis may enter through Tripura, Dawki in Meghalaya, Mankachar or Sribhumi in Assam, but "our security forces have been sending them back".

"We are taking steps to ensure that fresh infiltration cannot take place," he asserted.