Guwahati: In what has been criticised by secular forces, Assam finance minister and senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said that state can be saved from becoming another Kashmir only with the implementation of amended citizenship bill besides enforcing the Clause VI of the Assam accord.
Asserting that steps like granting ST status to six communities is another step in this direction Mr Sarma while addressing party workers here said the he can’t allow Assam to become next Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Sarma has launched an aggressive campaign to defend the party’s decision to amend the citizenship Bill after student outfits from all the north-eastern states under the banner of Northeast Students’ Organisation warned the BJP-led government at the Centre and the state against the Bill.
The students’ bodies’ which has vowed to oppose the citizenship amendment bill, termed Prime minister Narendra Modi and Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal as “saviour and protector of illegal immigrants” from Bangladesh.
Mr Sarma argued, “In 1971 Hindus in Assam accounted for 71 per cent of the population. It came down to 61 per cent in 2011. By 2021 if the eight lakh population of Hindu Bengali from Bangladesh is taken out from Assam, the community’s population of Assam will reduce to a mere 51 or 52 per cent, which will pave the way for Badruddin Ajmal or Sirajudin Ajmal to become chief minister of the state.”
Asking party workers to defend the landmark decision of the party Mr Sarma roared, “I do not require a certificate if I am secular or communal. People are pitting Hindus against Hindus. Those opposing Hindu Bangladeshi do not know that they have lost the power to decide in 14 districts of Assam. Already 30 seats have gone if the Bill comes in, we can still save at least 17 Assembly seats.”
While targeting the protestors Mr Sarma said that people who justified bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir are teaching us secularism.
