Daijiworld Media Network - Guwahati

Guwahati, Jan 25: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) president and perfume baron Maulana Badruddin Ajmal on Sunday asserted that Muslims in India are “safer than ever before”, crediting the support and solidarity of the Hindu community.

Addressing reporters here, Ajmal launched a sharp attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over what he termed “Miya politics” and appealed to Muslims not to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The term ‘Miya’ is often used as a slur against Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state.

“Muslims are safer than ever before across the country. They have nothing to fear because Hindus are standing by them,” Ajmal said. Taking a swipe at Sarma, he added, “If one Himanta shouts, a jungle doesn’t get emptied. Let him shout ‘Miya, Miya’.”

The former Dhubri MP also criticised the Congress, accusing it of virtually handing over power to the BJP by neglecting its traditional tea garden strongholds ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, expected in March or April.

“If the Congress wins only 23 seats, can it form the government?” Ajmal asked, referring to Muslim-dominated constituencies where the Congress has been focusing its campaign. He alleged that the party was misleading minorities while ignoring other key voter bases.

“The Congress does not go to tea gardens. Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s support came from tea garden workers. The Congress cannot form a government by relying only on Muslim votes,” he said.

Ajmal further warned that a split in Muslim votes between AIUDF, Congress and other parties would ultimately benefit the BJP and help it retain power in the state.

Meanwhile, several opposition parties submitted a memorandum to Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer, alleging large-scale irregularities in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They accused officials of unlawful interference, arbitrary issuance of bulk notices and deletion of genuine voters’ names.

The memorandum claimed that Booth Level Officers were deleting names suo motu under pressure from Electoral Registration Officers, and that some BLOs were coerced or made to sign documents under false pretences.

Assam currently has over 2.51 crore voters, excluding more than 93,000 ‘D-voters’ or doubtful voters — a category of people disenfranchised due to alleged lack of valid citizenship documents.