Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Thursday that Hindus generally don’t contribute to riots.
He further asserted that “love jihad” is a “reality” and used the murder of Shraddha Walkar to drive hom the point. Sarma remarked that we need a strict law against “love jihad.”
“Love jihad is a reality from a national point of view,” he said.
“I say this in a national sentiment,” he said while making a case for the existence of love jihad. Sarma further alleged that Hindus are peace-loving. “Hindus as a community do not even believe in jihad. The Hindu community will never indulge in rioting,” he added.
He also said that peace has prevailed in Gujarat since 2022 because of the Gujarat government’s work. He claimed that his work has ensured peace in Assam as well.
When asked about the bulldozing of mosques, Sarma remarked, that the BJP governments had removed several temples for road projects as well. “We have bulldozed madrassas in Assam in accordance with the law as well as the consent of people of the area,” he claimed.
The statement comes at a time when India has been criticised for attacks on Muslims, Dalits and Christians across the country. In a study published by Pew research centre, India secured a 9.4 rating out of 10 on the Social Hostilities Index in 2020, performing worse than its neighbours Pakistan (7.5) and Afghanistan (8).
Two weeks ago, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said every person living in the country is a ‘Hindu’ and the DNA of all Indians is the same, and asserted there was no need for anyone to change his way of offering rituals.
It is worth noting that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, of which the Assam CM is also a member, is affliated with the RSS. Both the RSS and the BJP have been time and again condemned for polarising the country and stomping down on the rights of minorities in India.
