Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa, on Wednesday, claimed that the Muslim population in the state has risen to 40% which, according to him, is concerning.
“Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was quoted by ANI as saying.
Biswa has been vocal in raising his concerns over the ‘growing Muslim population’.
On July 1, without taking any names, Biswa blamed a certain religious community for rising criminal activities.
“I am not saying that crime is committed only by people of a particular religion, but recent incidents since the just concluded Lok Sabha elections are a matter of concern,” Sarma said.
On the Bharatiya Janata Party’s low performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Biswa alleged that a large part of the Bangladeshi minority community ignored the development work done in their area and voted against his party. He also said that the community only indulges in communalism.
“A particular religion openly went against our government in those states, and that religion has tremendous followers in those states. So that has made a difference. It is not a political defeat, because nobody can fight with a religion,” he said.
The BJP-AGP-UPPL coalition bagged 11 seats out of the 14. The remaining were bagged by Congress.
In Assam, the BJP won 15 out of the 24 seats, losing voters compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Congress had won seven seats, a slightly better performance compared to the 2019 polls.
