Himanta Biswa Sarma: No land transfers between Hindus and Muslims without CM’s approval

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today announced a significant policy change regarding inter-religion land transfers during the State Executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra in Guwahati.

Addressing the gathering, Sarma stated, “Earlier, inter-religion land transfers happened freely. Hindus used to buy land from Muslims, and Muslims used to buy land from Hindus. We cannot stop the buying or selling of lands. However, the Assam government has now decided that for a Hindu's land to be bought by a Muslim, and vice versa, the Chief Minister's approval will be required. Without the Chief Minister's approval, no land buying or selling between Hindus and Muslims will take place.”

In the same speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state government will soon introduce a new law mandating life imprisonment for those convicted of 'love jihad'. Sarma's statement came during a BJP state executive meeting, aligning Assam's legal stance with recent proposals from Uttar Pradesh.

In his speech, Sarma said that individuals found guilty of engaging in 'love jihad'—defined as deceitful romantic relationships where an individual's religion or identity is concealed—will face severe legal consequences. The proposed legislation aims to address and penalize cases where deceit is involved in romantic relationships, targeting those who allegedly exploit interfaith relationships for ulterior motives.