Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged on Friday (1 October) that illegal settlers have hatched a plan to grab power in the state by 2050, gradually becoming a majority and dominant community in different Assembly constituencies across the state.
Sarma claimed that the land encroachers in Gorukhuti (Sipajhar) in Darrang district, who were evicted from government lands on 20 and 23 September, were part of this blueprint plan to wrest control of the government.
"Not all Assamese Muslims are involved in this plan. This is the thought process of a section of people. They have conspired to make a blueprint to obtain majority in the Assembly constituencies in a phased manner. After becoming the Chief Minister, I have seen various reports and evidence of this blueprint," Sarma told the media.
“Earlier, when I was not the chief minister, I did not have access to intelligence files. But now I have them and these reports talk about a blueprint to take over constituencies after constituencies," Sarma said, reports Times of India.
“In the last election, three assembly constituencies — Barkhetri, Batadraba and Mangaldai constituencies — have gone from natives to illegal settlers just by change in demography as laid down in the blueprint,” added Sarma.
Sarma informed that out of the 10,000 people evicted in Gorukhuti (Sipajhar) in Darrang district, the names of around 6,000 were not included in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) published in August 2019.
He said that the government would discuss with those who have been living in Gorukhuti for many years and include their names in the NRC.
Muslims comprise 34.22 per cent of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4 per cent are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Muslim votes are a determining factor in at least 30 to 35 seats out of Assam's total 126 Assembly seats.
Of Assam's 34 districts, 19 districts have 12 per cent or more Muslim population, and in six districts (out of these 19 districts), the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more.
(With inputs from IANS)
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