By Scroll Staff
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that eviction drives in the state were only targeting Miya Muslims and not Assamese people, reported PTI.
No eviction would take place in the Guwahati hills until the Assembly polls, added Sarma, blaming the media for allegedly spreading rumours.
“Miya” is a derogatory term for Bengali-speaking Muslims. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam has often labelled the community as “infiltrators” who are allegedly taking over resources, jobs and land of the indigenous people.
Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly are due in the first half of the year.
“The BJP has been in power in the state for 10 years now,” Sarma was quoted as saying. “Where has eviction been carried out in Guwahati hills.”
He added that eviction notices would be issued to Muslim migrants found to be residing in the hills.
Since the BJP came to power in Assam in 2016, multiple demolition drives have been conducted in the state, mostly targeting areas populated by Bengali-speaking Muslims.
On January 5, Sarma claimed that the government has reclaimed close to 1.5 lakh bighas of land in the course of the eviction drives, Northeast Now reported.
The chief minister’s remark on Sunday came a day after he said that only Miya Muslims were being served notices under the special revision of electoral rolls in the state.
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