Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sparked fresh controversy by drawing a clear religious distinction between Bangladeshi migrants, asserting that Hindus from Bangladesh should be treated as persecuted refugees while Muslims are illegal infiltrators who must face deportation.
Speaking on Saturday during the West Bengal Assembly election campaign, Sarma emphasised that Bangladeshi Hindus and Muslims cannot be viewed as one community. “Bangladeshi Muslims are one community, and Bangladeshi Hindus are another. These are two separate communities,” he stated, highlighting political and legal differences between the groups.
Sarma criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for treating both categories alike, which he said creates misconceptions. He argued that Hindu migrants fleeing religious persecution in Bangladesh qualify for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. In contrast, Muslim entrants are deemed illegal infiltrators and should be identified and deported.
The CAA provides a pathway to citizenship for non-Muslim minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians — from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014.
Sarma reiterated the BJP’s position: “When we say infiltrators, we are referring to Bangladeshi Muslims, not Hindus. Hindus are refugees, not infiltrators.”
He warned that unchecked infiltration by Bangladeshi Muslims is causing a demographic shift in Assam and poses a threat to national security. Sarma claimed the Muslim population in Assam has reached nearly 40% and vowed a continued crackdown. He noted that 20 illegal Bangladeshis were “pushed back” in the past 24 hours, with over 400 deported in recent months.
Sarma described the BJP’s approach as “decisive politics,” aimed at protecting persecuted Hindu refugees while firmly addressing illegal infiltration, particularly in border states like Assam and West Bengal. He accused the TMC of enabling demographic changes that could have wider implications across India.
The remarks come amid heightened political rhetoric in the ongoing West Bengal polls, where migration and citizenship remain sensitive issues. Sarma’s comments align with the BJP’s long-standing stance on the CAA and border security but have drawn criticism for appearing to contravene secular principles by differentiating migrants on religious lines.
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com.