Dhakuakhana (Assam), March 27 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday that his government will "crush" the Bangladeshi Myas community in the state if the BJP-led coalition returns to power in the upcoming election.
He asserted that the government will work to build a "strong Assamese society" and that illegal migrants will no longer be able to challenge the indigenous community.
Addressing an election campaign meeting in Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district, Sarma said, "We have worked very hard for the indigenous people of the state, and those who came from Bangladesh and encroached on Assam's land and homes, we have politically targeted them."
"This time, we will crush the very backbone of the Bangladeshi Myas, so that they cannot challenge the Assamese people," he added.
'Miya' is originally a derogatory term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and non-Bengali-speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants.
In recent years, activists from the community have started using this term as a gesture of defiance.
Sarma said that the government has cleared 1.5 lakh bighas of encroached land from Bangladeshi Myas in the last five years, and the target is to clear 5 lakh bighas in the next term.
"This is our land, our right; our 'jati' (community), our 'swabhiman' (dignity). We will work to build a strong Assamese society," the CM added.
In another rally at Bihpuria, Sarma promised 2 lakh government jobs for the youth in his next term, while another 10 lakh youth will be provided with Rs 2 lakh each for entrepreneurship ventures.
He said that while the outgoing BJP-led government was providing financial assistance to students under various schemes, it would make education free if it forms the next government.
"The entire education system will be taken care of by the government. All parents will have to do is encourage their children to study," Sarma added.
The CM also criticized the opposition Congress at a rally in Ranganadi, claiming that the party will never return to power in the state.
He blamed the grand old party for backwardness and under-development in parts of the state, especially those represented by Congress MLAs in the outgoing Assembly.
"If the Congress gets more than 20 seats this time, it will be a significant achievement. The Congress will never return to form government in the state," Sarma asserted.
The chief minister also attended a meeting in Naoboicha during his day-long campaign in Lakhimpur district.
The elections to the 126-member assembly will be held on April 9. Votes will be counted on May 4.