Assam opposition forum writes to President, asks for CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to be sacked for communal rhetoric

On Wednesday, the Opposition parties lodged an FIR against Sarma asking for his arrest.

Guwahati: A Congress-led forum of Opposition parties in Assam on Thursday submitted a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu urging that CM Himanta Biswa Sarma be "sacked" for his hate speeches against the Bengali Muslims in the state and the "gross violation of the Constitution."

The United Opposition Forum, Assam, a platform of 18 political parties, submitted the memorandum through Assam Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya. Asom Jatiya Parishad, Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal, Left parties, and others are part of the forum.

They said that in the past two years, Sarma made a series of hateful and provocative statements publicly, even on the floor of the Assembly, targeting the minority Muslims. "One year back, he had incited the youths to evict the people belonging to a religious minority community (her termed them as Miya) from Guwahati, who have been earning their livelihood as vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers, private drivers and labourers in construction and other sector," they said.

The memorandum said recently Gauhati High Court reprimanded Assam government for using bulldozers to demolish the houses of Muslims at Batadrava in Nagaon district and directed to pay compensations.

Sarma also targeted a journalist, Shah Alom, with obvious communal innuendos.

They further alleged that Sarma targeted the Muslim community after two Muslim youths were arrested on charges of rape of a minor girl at Dhing in Nagaon district recently, which led to attacks on Muslims in Sivsagar district.

The forum on Wednesday lodged an FIR at Dispur police station in Guwahati seeking Sarma's arrest for his continuous "divisive and communal" statements targeting the Bengali Muslims. They said Sarma was trying to create a communal riot to reap political benefits.

On Tuesday, Sarma said in the Assembly that he would take sides to stop "Miya" Muslims from "taking over" entire Assam.