‘Brotherhood won’t be broken’: Rakibul Hussain hits back at BJP MP's comment on Dhubri as "Mini Bangladesh"

A major political storm erupted after BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi referred to Assam’s Dhubri district as a "Mini Bangladesh" during a debate in the Rajya Sabha. His remarks, made in the context of voter duplication and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), triggered sharp criticism from opposition leaders, while Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended his statement.

During the debate, Trivedi argued that NRC was necessary to prevent voter duplication, questioning why the opposition was unwilling to support it. He cited Congress leader Rakibul Hussain’s landslide victory in Dhubri in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a reason for NRC resistance, stating, "Dhubri is called Mini Bangladesh; that’s why the opposition doesn’t agree to NRC but keeps raising the issue of voter duplication."

Trivedi’s statement drew immediate condemnation from Congress leader and Assam’s Leader of the Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, who denounced it as an insult to Assam. Saikia took to social media platform ‘X’ to announce that he had moved a censure motion against Trivedi in response.

Dhubri MP Rakibul Hussain also strongly criticized Trivedi, calling his remarks baseless and misleading. Speaking to India Today NE, Hussain questioned the BJP leader’s understanding of Assam’s NRC process, stating:

"Sudhanshu Trivedi Ji, as a spokesperson and intellectual face of BJP, should not have made such false statements. NRC in Assam was completed under the supervision of the Supreme Court of India and the final list has already been published by the Registrar General of India (RGI). Assam’s Chief Minister himself has acknowledged that the citizenship issue has been resolved."

Hussain further alleged that delimitation in Assam was manipulated to favour BJP candidates, claiming that Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used the process to benefit his political allies in Dhubri. He criticized the Election Commission of India (ECI) for allegedly siding with the Assam CM instead of addressing opposition concerns.

Highlighting Dhubri’s rich history and cultural legacy, Hussain reminded Trivedi that former Assam Chief Minister Sarat Chandra Sinha and legendary Goalpariya Lokgeet artist Pratima Pandey Barua hailed from Dhubri. He also mentioned that many Koch-Rajbongshi residents who once supported the BJP have now distanced themselves due to such remarks.

Concluding his response, Hussain demanded that Trivedi retract his statement, emphasizing that such divisive rhetoric will not break Assam’s unity and brotherhood. He stated, "No matter who is in power—MP, MLA, or Minister—this attempt to divide Assam through such statements will not succeed."