DERGAON, May 21: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday dismissed a purported map, published by a few individuals in Bangladesh, claiming parts of the northeastern state as the territory of the neighbouring country.
He asserted that Bangladesh is a “small” country and does not deserve “so much attention” as it “cannot match” India in its prowess.
“People can draw and publish such a map. We can also come out with a map showing Bangladesh as part of Assam. Even India and the US can be put together on a map. Just drawing up a map won’t make it happen,” Sarma said at a press conference in Dergaon in Golaghat district.
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He was asked for his response to certain fundamentalists in Bangladesh, purportedly publishing a map of that country with parts of Assam included.
The chief minister said that if ‘maulanas’ (Muslim religious leaders) from Bangladesh have drawn such a map with Assam as part of their territory, ‘purohits (priests), pandits’ of India can also come out with a map including their Chittagong Port in India.
“A government cannot do it (publish such a map), but the people can,” he said.
Sarma also claimed that if Bangladesh attacks the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ corridor in West Bengal’s Siliguri, India will strike back at its two narrow strips of land.
“They (Bangladesh) have two ‘Chicken Necks’, India has one. If they attack ours, we will attack their two Chicken Necks. Their ‘Chicken’s Neck’ near Meghalaya to Chittagong Port is much smaller than ours and can be choked by throwing even a ring,” he said.
Sarma did not specify the second narrow strip of land of Bangladesh, which he referred to as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ of the neighbouring country.
The Chicken’s Neck, known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a narrow strip of land, measuring around 22 km-35 km in width that connects the northeast region with the rest of India.
“We talk about our ‘Chicken’s Neck’ so that we can get tunnel, other schemes from the central government,” he added, indicating on development of alternative routes bypassing the Siliguri Corridor.
He asserted that India’s strength can be gauged from ‘Operation Sindoor’ in which India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“Bangladesh doesn’t deserve so much attention. It is a small country and cannot be compared with India,” Sarma added. (PTI)
