GUWAHATI: Perfume baron and Assam’s minority-based party All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal on Sunday said the Muslims in India are safer than ever before, as the Hindus are standing by them.
He slammed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his “Miya” politics and appealed to Muslims not to vote for the BJP. Miya is a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam.
“Muslims are safer than ever before in entire India. They have nothing to fear because the Hindus are standing by them,” Ajmal said. “If one Himanta shouts, a jungle doesn’t get emptied. Let him shout Miya, Miya,” he added.
The former Dhubri MP also slammed the Congress for giving a 100% “walkover” to the BJP by ignoring its traditional tea garden seats as the state readies for Assembly elections, expected in March or April.
“If the Congress wins 23 seats, can it form the government?” Ajmal asked, referring to constituencies dominated by the Muslims where the Congress has been very active.
He accused the party of playing a dirty game with the minorities and fooling them. “The Congress does not go to tea gardens. (Former Chief Minister) Tarun Gogoi’s votes were in the tea gardens. The Congress cannot win only with Muslim votes,” Ajmal cautioned.
He said the possible division of Muslim votes would cost the community dear. “Muslims will vote for AIUDF, Congress and other parties. Ultimately, BJP will retain power,” he observed.
Opposition cries foul over SIR ‘anomalies,’ petitions EC
Several opposition parties submitted a memorandum to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, alleging gross anomalies, discrepancies and unlawful interference in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise as well as issuance of illegal, arbitrary and unlawful bulk notices to voters in total violation of law.
“…Booth Level Officers (BLOs), on the instructions of the Electoral Registration Officers, are making suo moto deletion of names of genuine voters... Many BLOs have come forward to state how they have either been coerced or their signature have been taken at false pretences,” the memorandum read.
Assam has 2,51,09,754 voters, excluding 93,021 D-Voters or doubtful voters. They belong to a category of voters who have been disenfranchised by the government on account of their alleged lack of proper citizenship credentials.