Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said that Assamese Muslims have “set their mood” politically, claiming that many members of the community are now extending support to him and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Addressing the media, Sarma said several people from the Assamese Muslim community have expressed their support by contributing amounts ranging from ₹200 to ₹11,000. According to him, these gestures reflect their growing confidence in his leadership.
The Chief Minister also claimed that Assamese Muslims consider themselves a distinct ethnic community and culturally different from what he referred to as “Miya Muslims”. He said members of the Assamese Muslim community have spoken about these distinctions in television programmes and public discussions.
Sarma further stated that in the past a large section of Assamese Muslims had supported the Indian National Congress, while many had also voted for the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) during and after the Assam Movement.
However, he claimed that the political inclination of the community has been gradually changing over the years and that the BJP is now gaining their support.
“As far as Assamese Muslims are concerned, they have already set their mood. Earlier many of them supported the Congress — around 50–60 per cent were there — but now they are moving towards the BJP,” Sarma said.
