AT Photo: AIUDF President, Badruddin Ajmal (left) and Assam Chief Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma (right)
Guwahati, Oct. 8: The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has criticised Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his recent remarks made during the Haryana Assembly election campaign regarding the closure of 600 madrasas in Assam.
"The Chief Minister's use of derogatory language against Muslims where he remarked that the 'country needs doctors and engineers instead of mullahs' is divisive and prejudiced'," AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal said in a statement.
He challenged Sarma to take tangible steps toward providing professional education facilities for Muslims rather than resorting to provocative speeches.
Ajmal said that Muslims make up 34 per cent of Assam's population and that the State's development is impossible without including Muslims in the overall development agenda. "You cannot build a prosperous Assam while excluding such a significant portion of its population," Ajmal said.
He accused the State Government of confiscating land and properties belonging to madrasas established by Muslims while doing nothing for the education and development of Muslim youth.
"How many schools and colleges has your (Sarma's) Government established in Muslim-majority areas? If you want the Muslim youth to become doctors and engineers, then provide them with quotas in colleges and universities and establish schools and colleges for them," Ajmal said.
Reflecting on what he termed as the lack of support for Muslims in accessing professional education, Ajmal said, "How many Muslims have benefited from your (Sarma's) Government's educational initiatives?"
He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Muslims holding the Quran in one hand and a laptop in the other and contrasted this with what he termed as the Assam Chief Minister's constant opposition to Muslims.
"The Prime Minister envisions empowerment for Muslims, yet you (Sarma) continually speak against them," the former Lok Sabha member said.
He said that Muslims had also voted for Sarma in the last elections. "If Muslims voted for you (Sarma), why do you consistently express negativity toward them? The government may oppress Muslims by depriving them of education and employment opportunities but they cannot erase their existence. Muslims make up 34% of Assam's population. You can try to suppress them, but you will never be able to abolish their presence. You will not stay in power forever. So, do good for the people and stop fostering hostility towards Muslims," Ajmal added.
