Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has faced sharp criticism after stating that his government would “break the backbone” of “Miyas” if the Bharatiya Janata Party returns to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district on Friday, Sarma said his government had worked for the “indigenous people” of the state while targeting those he described as illegal migrants.
“And those who came from Bangladesh and encroached on Assam’s land and homes, we broke their hands and legs politically,” he said, according to PTI.
He further added, “This time, we will break the very backbone of the Bangladeshi Miyas, so that they cannot dare the Assamese people.”
In Assam, the term “Miya” is widely regarded as derogatory and is used to refer to Bengali-origin Muslims, many of whom are often accused of being undocumented migrants from Bangladesh.
While traditionally used as an honourific among South Asian Muslims, the term has in recent years been reappropriated by sections of the community as a self-identifier.
Sarma’s latest remarks are part of a pattern of controversial statements targeting the community.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.