CM's permission must for transfer of land from Hindus to Muslims in Assam soon

Guwahati: BJP-led government in Assam will soon introduce a bill in the Assembly for making the Chief Minister's permission mandatory for transfer of land from Hindus to Muslims.

Making this announcement, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said in the past three years, his government reclaimed land from encroachers belonging to a particular community (apparently referring to Muslims), which is similar to the size of Chandigarh city.

"But land which will match the size of another 20 Chandigarh is still being occupied by a section. We will continue our efforts to bring the land rights back to our indigenous people," Sarma said.

"Earlier inter-religious transfer of land was a normal affair but our government has decided to introduce a bill in the Assembly soon under which Chief Minister's permission will be made mandatory to get a sale permission for transfer of land from Hindus to Muslims," he said while addressing the BJP workers at the party's state executive meeting in Guwahati.

"In the undivided Goalpara district, Koch Rajbongshi community was politically very strong. But over the decades, they have become minorities in their own land and their land has been snatched away by people belonging to a particular community. But our government has decided that no land belonging to indigenous community will be allowed for sale to a particular community," he said.

CM Sarma further said his government would soon come up with a new domicile policy under which only those born in Assam will be eligible for state government jobs.

Lifer for love jihad

Sarma added that his government will also introduce another bill that will prescribe life imprisonment for those found guilty of 'love jihad'. "We know love jihad is a reality now in Assam," he said.

"We know that we can not send anyone to Bangladesh but we will create an atmosphere where rights of our indigenous people will remain protected for the future," he said. BJP has targeted the Bengali-speaking Muslims as "infiltrators" from neighbouring Bangladesh and claims that the party is trying to protect the rights of the indigenous people against the demographic threats posed to them.

Sarma also said that only indigenous people, belonging to both Brahmaputra and Barak Valley, would be provided government jobs.

The CM further said his government would soon come up with a new domicile policy under which only those born in Assam will be eligible for state government jobs.