Won't allow Assam to become another Kashmir: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, February 17, 2019:

Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a speech in front of a mass rally in North Lakhimpur today. The rally was also attended by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and BJP President Amit Shah, among other senior BJP party members.

Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has been advocating the philosophy of Hindutva in recent times, again brought up the issue of the 14 districts which will be ‘Islamized’, as per the Minister, if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is not passed.

Meanwhile, Himanta, while reiterating the slogan of ‘Akou ebaar, Modi Sarkar’ (Once again, Modi’s Government), stated that the BJP would not let the Assam turn into ‘another Kashmir’. Equating the situation in Kashmir, which is a virtual warzone with threats of Pakistani attacks looming large, with that of Assam, is false equivalency at best.

Although there has been unrest in the state in the recent past, most of it was caused by the perceived threat of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, as the state rose in unity to oppose the controversial Bill.

The fear-mongering tactics are the only tools left to the BJP to mobilize the people of the state to vote it back into power, as a wave of disillusionment over the ‘Achche din’ promise has engulfed Assam. The failure of the administration to pass the Bill will also be seen as a failure by the party’s ardent supporters who were in favor of it.