GUWAHATI, Feb 17: Legislators of opposition AIUDF on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Assam Assembly after their adjournment motion to discuss Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s alleged provocative statements against the Miya community was rejected.
Raising the motion, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam alleged that the CM is directly “inciting” people against the Miya community with his “provocative statements”.
“Because of his statements, some miscreants have started torturing the Miya people, mostly in Upper Assam. Some have been physically attacked and asked to leave their workplaces,” he added.
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Some youths in Upper Assam districts searched houses looking for Miya people and told the owners not to rent out their dwelling units to the Bengali-speaking Muslims, Islam said.
“There is no other state in India where one cannot even travel to other districts for work within the state. People are taking the law into their own hands and the police are not doing anything,” he added.
The MLA said that the matter is of utmost importance and of recent occurrence, so it can be discussed in an adjournment motion.
Speaker Biswajit Daimary said, “The topic is important, but it can be discussed during Motion of Thanks of the Governor’s address. You can raise your points then and the CM can also answer your queries.”
Besides, as the ‘vote on account’ will be presented during the day, an adjournment motion cannot be accepted, he added.
“Accordingly, I reject the adjournment motion,” Daimary said.
Following this, the opposition members protested by raising slogans against the decision and staged a walkout.
‘Miya’ is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance.
Sarma has been making repeated statements in recent days attacking the Miyas, saying that the people from the community will continue to face problems as long as he is in power. (PTI)
