New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly condemned recent statements made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, describing them as anti-Muslim, provocative, and divisive. The board has appealed to the Supreme Court of India to take suo-motu cognisance of the matter to uphold constitutional values and the rule of law.
In an official statement, AIMPLB spokesperson Dr. S. Q. R. Ilyas said that the use of hate speech against Muslims has become common in the politics of the ruling parties. Earlier, such language was limited to a few individuals, but now chief ministers of states like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam are also repeating similar remarks. Specifically, during a government event held at Digboi in Tinsukia district on January 27, Assam’s Chief Minister targeted the ‘Miyan’ community—a derogatory term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims—claiming that both he and the BJP were opposed to this community. He asserted that it was their responsibility to trouble the ‘Miyan’ community to force them to leave Assam.
The Chief Minister further urged people to pay only Rs 4 instead of Rs 5 as rickshaw fare to ‘Miyan’ drivers, encouraging economic boycott, and assured police protection for such actions. He also called on BJP workers to remove 4-5 lakh ‘Miyan’ voters from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by filling Form 7. Dr. Ilyas described these remarks as shocking and unacceptable, stating that a Chief Minister who has sworn to protect the Constitution is openly promoting discrimination, persecution, and disenfranchisement of a community.
The AIMPLB asserted that such statements violate the fundamental principles of the Constitution, including equality, equal protection under the law, and secularism. The board warned that if constitutional bodies like the Election Commission do not oppose such illegal pressure, the credibility of free and fair elections will be at risk. AIMPLB has also appealed to the President of India to take constitutional action against the Assam Chief Minister. Immediate intervention by the Chief Justice of India has been sought, cautioning that any delay will embolden hate speech further and may lead to social unrest and disorder.
The board appealed to all secular political parties, civil society, and justice-loving citizens to take this discriminatory call seriously and unite to protect constitutional values. The Assam Muslim community has been advised to maintain peace and respond to provocations strictly through constitutional and legal means.
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