Dhemaji/Majuli/Sadiya, March 30 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that different communities were living in harmony because the BJP was in power in the state.
Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Dhemaji, Majuli, Naoboicha, and Sadiya, he accused the Congress of working only for 'Bangladeshi-Miyas', while ignoring the welfare of the indigenous population.
"We want to work for the people living in Assam – the Assamese, Bengali and Hindi-speaking people, Gorkhas, tribals, all communities. All the communities are in harmony because the BJP is in power," he said.
Sarma alleged that the Congress appeased 'Bangladeshi Miyas' when it was in power, while the BJP is working for the welfare of the indigenous community.
"You can see for yourself now that after the BJP came to power, the Bangladeshi-Miyas have been marginalized. During this term, we have politically weakened the Bangladeshi-Miyas; next time we will break their backbone so that they cannot live peacefully in Assam," he said.
'Miya' is originally a derogatory term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and they are usually identified as immigrants from what is now Bangladesh. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting the term as a gesture of defiance.
Sarma claimed that he is the first chief minister to have visited the river-island of Majuli at least 15 times.
"Development of Majuli started in 2016, when the BJP came to power in the state. Congress did not want to come here as they didn't want to solve the problems," he said.
The CM also took a jibe at the Congress's election slogan of 'Natun Bor Asom' (new greater Assam).
"We want our 'Bor Asom' on the ideals of Sankardev and Chaolung Sukapha, not a 'Natun Bor Asom' of Bangladeshi-Miyas," he said.
Elections for the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9, with counting of votes scheduled on May 4.
