Himanta Biswa Sarma becoming Religious leader, not Chief Minister: CPI-M leader

Hannan Mollah, the leader of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and a former Lok Sabha MP, mocked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remark on Muslim marriages on Thursday. Hannan Mollah, speaking to the news agency ANI, accused Sarma of becoming a religious leader rather than a chief minister.

Mollah said, "Assam chief minister is becoming the Paigambar (religious leader), not chief minister. Every day he is giving advice on different religions." He went on to say that the chief minister is only dividing people for political gain.

"If you want to get it done, you should make law and people will face it but why you are only giving a statement and dividing people. It will only serve a political purpose. It has nothing to do with the national interest," he added.

While advocating for an equal share of property for the wife, Assam CM Sarma also proposed that a Muslim man marry one woman instead of three. Instead of Talaq, the chief minister advocated for a legal divorce in the community.

CM Sarma during a press conference on Wednesday said, “Assam government is very clear that no Muslim man should marry three women. Don’t give Talaq, give divorce legally. An equal share of the property should be given to daughters like sons.  Give 50 per cent share of the property to the wife. Views of the government and the common Muslims are same.”

According to reports, the chief minister credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the reduction in "discrimination against students of the northeast" and said the progress was due to the PM's outreach to the region in recent years.