United Opposition Forum to file case against Assam CM over ‘communal’ remarks today

Guwahati, Aug 28: The United Opposition Forum (UOF), a coalition of 18 parties aligned with the INDIA Bloc, is poised to lodge an official complaint against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of making “communal” remarks intended to “incite” communal tensions across the state.

The complaint will be filed at Guwahati’s Dispur Police Station at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

In addition to the complaint, the UOF will also request an inquiry into the unaccounted assets of the Chief Minister and his family, to be conducted by a Supreme Court judge.

This decision was reached during a meeting of the UOF held at a premium hotel in Guwahati on Tuesday evening.

“In light of the unconstitutional and communal remarks by the Chief Minister, we have urged both the Governor and the President of India to dismiss him,” UOF President Bhupen Kumar Bora announced to the press following the meeting.

After the meeting, leaders from various parties within the forum took turns to criticise the Sarma-led government, particularly for its alleged failure to ensure the safety of Assam’s citizens, especially in addressing crimes against women.

The meeting saw attendance from the presidents and secretaries of 18 political parties, including MPs Pradyut Bordoloi, Rakibul Hussain, and Ajit Kumar Bhuiyan, leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, CPI(M) leader Suprakash Talukdar, and Opposition Oikya Manch secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi, among others.

The controversy arose earlier on Tuesday when Chief Minister Sarma declared in the Assembly that he “would not allow ‘Miya’ Muslims to dominate Assam.”

His remarks were made during a heated debate on adjournment motions brought by opposition parties, which focused on law and order and the safety of women in the state.

Opposition leaders, including AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam and Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia, argued that migration from lower to upper Assam was “natural”.

In response, Sarma questioned the necessity of such migration, suggesting it might be an attempt by “Miya” Muslims to take control of the state.