Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly criticized a remark by ABMSU member Mainuddin Ali, who suggested Bengali-speaking Muslims would now declare Bengali—not Assamese—in public records. Sarma warned that such actions would only reveal the number of “foreigners” in the state, stressing Assamese remains the state’s permanent official language. The comment, made during protests in Kokrajhar against eviction drives, has sparked widespread backlash for fueling linguistic and communal tension.
AASU President Utpal Sharma called it a provocation, linking it to demographic concerns and the marginalization of indigenous communities. TAYPA’s Gunakanta Gogoi questioned ABMSU’s loyalty to Assam. In response, ABMSU President Taison Hussain distanced the organisation from Ali’s statement, clarifying it was made in a personal capacity and not ABMSU’s official stance. The controversy adds to ongoing tensions over identity, language, and land amid continuing eviction operations in the state.
