Page 10 - Himanta Biswa Sarma

Pure communal venom: Sibal slams Assam CM for his remark on Muslims

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his "will not let 'Miya' Muslims take over the state" remark, saying his comment was "pure communal venom" and silence was not the answer to such a statement. Asserting that he would take sides, Sarma on Tuesday said he would not let 'Miya' Muslims "take over" Assam. Sarma was speaking in the assembly on the admissibility of adjournment motions moved by the opposition parties to discuss the law and order situation in the state in the wake of the gangrape of a 14-year-old girl in Nagaon. Reacting to the remarks, Sibal said on X, "Himanta (Assam CM): 'Will take sides. Will not let Miya Muslims take over all of Assam'. My take: Pure communal venom. Actionable. Silence not an answer." 'Miya' was used as a pejorative term for Bengali-speaking Muslims initially, and the non-Bengali-speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community ha

I will take sides, won't let 'Miya' Muslims take over Assam: Himanta

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that he would take sides, and won't let 'Miya' Muslims "take over" the Assam. Sarma was speaking in the assembly on adjournment motions brought by the opposition parties to discuss the law and order situation in the state in the backdrop of the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Nagaon. Replying to the motion, he said the crime rate has not increased if the population growth is taken into account. When the opposition charged him of being partisan, Sarma retorted, "I will take sides. What can you do about it?" "Why will people from Lower Assam go to Upper Assam? So that Miya Muslims can take over Assam? We won't let it happen," he asserted. Amid the heated debate, members of both treasury and opposition benches stormed into the Well of the House, prompting Speaker Biswajit Daimary to adjourn the proceedings for 10 minutes. MLAs of Congress, AIUDF, and CPI(M), and lone Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi had moved four adjournment motion

Opposition protests Himanta govt's failure to prevent crimes against women

The opposition parties in Assam on Tuesday held demonstrations in various parts of Guwahati, including the assembly complex, alleging the failure of the government to protect women and prevent crime against them. Congress MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia marched from inside the assembly building to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi within the compound, holding placards and shouting slogans demanding the safety of women and condemning the targeting of a particular community for all crimes against women. "The Dhing incident is not the only one. After that also, many such cases have taken place in different parts of the state," Saikia told reporters here. "The CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, is not at all serious and concerned about the situation. We discussed in the assembly about crimes against women with NCRB data and asked the government to take action," he said. Saikia claimed that the Home Department has asked the Assam Police not to register "some cases"

Former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren to join BJP on August 30: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday that former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren will join the BJP. Sarma said Soren will join the party on August 30 in Ranchi. He posted a picture of Soren meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah here. Sarma, who is the BJP's co-incharge for the Jharkhand assembly polls, was also part of the meeting. "Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and a distinguished Adivasi leader of our country, Champai Soren Ji met Hon'ble Union Home Minister Amit Shah Ji a short while ago. He will officially join the BJP on 30th August in Ranchi," Sarma said on 'X'. A Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader, Soren had accused its leadership of insulting him and announced that he would soon decide on his next political course. It was widely speculated that he might join the BJP, with JMM leader and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren accusing the party of working to poach its leaders.

Assam CM Himanta bats for stringent law to tackle crimes against women

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday advocated for a stringent law to tackle crimes against women, expressing support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for such legislation. Sarma emphasised that all legal processes, including inquiry, charge-sheet, trial, and conviction, should be completed within six months in cases involving crimes against women. "Crimes against women are on the rise. I welcome the PM's announcement that a strict law is needed," Sarma said. He further remarked, "My only observation is that a deadline of six months should be fixed for all processes such as inquiry, charge-sheet, trial, and conviction in crime cases against women. Then only will we be able to reduce such crimes." Sarma's comments come in the wake of protests over the rape-murder of a doctor at R G Kar Hospital in Kolkata. Speaking to reporters at Union Minister Sanjay Seth's residence in Ranchi, Sarma said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself on Sunday advocated for a strict

Two Bangladeshis detected in Assam, sent back home, says CM Himanta

Two Bangladesh nationals who illegally entered India were detected in Assam and sent back to their country, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The duo was apprehended at Badarpur railway station and sent back to Bangladesh on Friday night, he added. "Two Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended at Badarpur railway station by @assampolice," Sarma wrote on X. The apprehended individuals were identified as Masum Khan, resident of an area under Modelganj police station of Bangladesh, and Sonia Akhtar of Dhaka. They reportedly entered India through the Madhoppur (Bangladesh)-Agartala route and were en route to Bengaluru, Sarma said. "In collaboration with the BSF, Assam Police successfully pushed them back across the border last night," the chief minister added. Sarma had said on Saturday that over 30 Bangladeshis trying to enter India without valid documents have been pushed back from Assam in the last one month. They were en route to Bengaluru and other south Indian cities in s

Zero-tolerance policy in dealing with crimes against women: Assam CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that his government has a policy of zero-tolerance in dealing with crimes against women and drastic action is taken against the culprits in such cases. He also said the state's police force is setting an example with its prompt action in cases of crimes against women. When an incident (like rape) happens in Assam, police take quick action. No compromise is made. When it comes to matters of crimes against women, we have a zero-tolerance policy, Sarma told reporters. Referring to the gangrape of a 14-year-old girl in Dhing, the main accused in which died while purportedly trying to escape from police custody, Sarma said, The incident happened two days back. The police arrested the accused, he tried to escape by jumping into water and died in the process. On another case in which a person accused of molesting a girl was injured in police firing while reportedly trying to flee in Tezpur, the CM said, He tried to escape and w

Hindus not migrating to India, fighting in trouble-torn B'desh: CM Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday claimed Hindus have not tried to enter India from Bangladesh since the neighbouring country plunged into instability. Hindus are staying and fighting in Bangladesh. In the last one month, not a single Hindu person has been detected trying to enter India, he said at a press conference here. He also asserted that Muslims from the neighbouring country were attempting to crossover to seek employment in India's textile sector. 35 Muslim infiltrators have been arrested in the past one month... they are trying to enter, but those coming are not for Assam, but to go to Bangalore, Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore to work in the textile industry, the CM claimed. We have requested our prime minister to impress upon the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of Hindus, he added.

47,928 foreigners detected in Assam in 43 years, 43% of them Hindus

The Assam government on Thursday said over 47,900 foreigners have been detected in the state from 1971 to 2014, out of which more than 43 per cent are Hindus. In a written reply to a query by AGP MLA Ponakan Baruah, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Foreigners Tribunal (FT) has declared 47,928 people as foreigners between 1971 and 2014. Out of them, 27,309 were Muslims, 20,613 Hindus and six belonged to other religions, he said. The CM said the highest number of foreigners was detected in Cachar. Out of 10,152 declared foreigners, 8,139 were Hindus and the remaining 2,013 were Muslims. As per the Assam Accord, names of all foreigners coming to the state on or after March 25, 1971 would be detected and deleted from electoral rolls and steps would be taken to deport them. Sarma said that according to the 2011 census, the state had a total Assamese speaking population of 1.51 crore, making up 48.38 per cent of the 3.12 crore residents. There were 90.24 lakh Bengali speakin

Assam to table Bill to compulsory register marriage, divorce of Muslims

The Assam government will introduce a bill in the upcoming Autumn Session of Assembly for compulsory government registration of marriage and divorce of Muslim people, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Sarma said the government will table the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriage and Divorce Bill, 2024 during the upcoming session, which will begin on Thursday. "Earlier, Muslim marriages were registered by the Kazis. However, this new bill will ensure that all marriages of the community will be registered with the government," he added. Sarma also claimed that marriages of minors were also registered by the Kazis earlier, but the proposed bill will prohibit any such move. "Now, minor marriage registration will not happen at all. We want to end the menace of child marriage. So, the marriages will be registered at the Sub-Registrar's Office," he added, citing cabinet decisions. Sarma said that there will not be a

Assam CM accuses JMM-led alliance govt of doing 'appeasement' politics

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused the JMM-led alliance government in Jharkhand of doing politics of "appeasement" in the state. Sarma, election co-incharge of BJP in Jharkhand, on Saturday, visited Bengabad in Giridih district to meet the kins of Havaldar Chouhan Hembram, who was killed by a convicted prisoner in a Hazaribag hospital on August 12. "No legislator either from JMM or Congress met the tribal victim family yet," Sarma said after meeting the mother of Hembram. Prisoner Shahid Ansari, serving a life sentence, escaped from Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district after hitting Hembram with a rod and strangulating him to death with a saline pipe. The accused was undergoing treatment in the hospital. The Assam CM alleged that the administration took no action to nab the absconding prisoner. Sarma said that when he came to know about the incident, he decided to meet the family with Jharkhand BJP chief .

Mamata should avoid doing politics over doctor's rape-murder: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himant Biswa Sarma on Friday lashed out at his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, asking her to "stop indulging in politics" over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Sarma's assertion while speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of a BJP meeting came in response to Banerjee accusing the opposition parties in West Bengal of being behind vandalism at the hospital in north Kolkata on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. "The incident that happened in Kolkata is very sad and the people of West Bengal and the entire country are in a state of shock. Mamata didi should avoid doing politics over the matter. She should focus on finding out who was behind the incident and fixing the accountability," Sarma said while replying to a query on Banerjee's allegations. "If you (Mamata Banerjee) do politics even after such a tragic incident, I believe this is very wrong. In such a time accusing others is

Assam's future at risk as Hindu-Muslim population balance eroding: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the future of the state is "not secure" as the population balance between Hindus and Muslims is declining fast. Hoisting the Tri-Colour here, Sarma also said that the indigenous people have gone in a defensive mode due to demographic change in Assam as "we are a minority in 12-13 districts". "The future of Assam is not secure for us. The Hindu-Muslim population balance is declining fast. The Muslim population in 2021 rose to 41 per cent, while the Hindus were down to 57 per cent. The rest is shared by Christians and other communities," he claimed. In his official speech on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day, the CM asserted that the Hindu population is slowly going down to 50 per cent from 60-65 per cent. "In such a crisis phase, I am trying to bring back the population balance. I request all Hindus, Muslims and others to follow the family planning norms. We should be aware against polygamy by all sections of the ...

Bangladesh situation matter of concern for Northeast: Assam CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the situation in Bangladesh is a matter of concern for the northeastern states, apprehending that the neighbouring country may again become a hub of insurgents and people from there may enter the region illegally. Sarma said he was hopeful that the Centre would continue with dialogue with the new dispensation in Bangladesh and that concerns of the northeastern states would be at the forefront. "We are concerned about the recent developments in Bangladesh and if the trouble continues, we fear that it will affect the region from two angles," the chief minister told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Dergaon. The border between the two countries has to be protected as "people from the neighbouring country may try to enter the region through the India-Bangladesh boundary", he said. 'During Sheikh Hasina's regime, insurgents from the northeast region were forced to leave Bangladesh. It will be a matter of concern for us t

Assam CM Sarma raises concern over infiltration amid turmoil in Bangladesh

Himanta Biswa Sharma also voiced the possibility of Bangladesh becoming a safe ground for terrorist activities in the future

Assam to make 'love jihad' punishable with life imprisonment, says CM Sarma

Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have enacted 'love jihad' legislation

West Bengal floods: Mamata points finger at Jharkhand; Assam CM hits back

Mamata Banerjee raised concerns about the sudden and huge release of water from Tenughat, which has already started flooding Bengal

Assam govt to bring law soon for life imprisonment in 'love jihad' cases

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said his government will soon introduce a law for life imprisonment in cases of love jihad'. Speaking at the state BJP executive meet here, he said, We spoke about love jihad' during the elections. Soon, we will bring a law, which will award life imprisonment in such cases. Sarma also said a new domicile policy will be introduced soon, under which only those born in Assam will be eligible for state government jobs. He maintained that indigenous people have received priority in the one lakh government jobs provided as per a pre-poll promise, which will be evident when the complete list is published. The CM said the Assam government has also taken a decision regarding the sale of land between Hindus and Muslims. Sarma said though the government cannot prevent such a transaction, it has made it mandatory to take consent of the chief minister before going ahead.

Tata's Assam plant to make 48.3 mn chips per day with native tech: Vaishnaw

Tata Group's semiconductor plant in Assam will produce 4.83 crore chips per day using indigenously-developed technologies, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Chairman of Tata Sons Limited N Chandrasekaran on Saturday performed the Bhumi pujan of the Rs 27,000-crore semiconductor assembly and test facility at Jagiroad in Morigaon district. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 29, 2024. "The construction of the plant has started in short span of five months after the project was approved. It will manufacture about 4.83 crore chips per day. The unique thing about this plant is that all the three major technologies which will be deployed in this plant are developed in India," Vaishnaw said. The minister said that the chips manufactured at the Tata plant will be used in vehicles including electric vehicles, and practically every large company will be using their ...

Assam CM lauds PM, Tata Sons for Rs 27,000 cr semiconductor plant

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday asserted that it was a 'golden day' for the people of Assam as Bhumi pujan was performed for the Rs 27,000 crore semiconductor assembly and test facility at Jagiroad in Morigaon district. Sarma thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tata Sons Limited for taking the initiative to set up the semiconductor assembly and test facility at Jagiroad. The chief minister assured the Chairman of Tata Sons Limited N Chandrasekaran that the company will face no difficulty in setting up this industry and the people of Assam will always be grateful for this facility. 'The setting up of this facility will herald industrial development in the state leading to employment opportunities for the youth', Sarna said after participating in the Bhumi pujan of the facility here. He said that it was due to the initiative of Prime Minister, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that this facility became ...