Digital Desk: The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Sunday that the BJP doesn’t need the votes of the “Miya” people of the “char” (riverine sandbar) areas for the next 1O years, till they change themselves by abandoning practices like child marriage.
Sarma, however, asserted that despite not casting votes. Miya people support him, PM Narendra Modi and the BJP, and they can continue to shout slogans in favour of them.
The BJP will help us and work for the general good, but they don’t need to cast their votes in our favour. Supporting us won’t do any harm. To a question from reporters, he responded, “Let them shout ‘zindabad’ for Himanta Biswa Sarma, Narendra Modi and the BJP.
Muslims who speak Bengali are referred to as “Miya” in colloquial language.
The CM declared, “I myself will ask them not to vote for us when elections come. Vote for us if you practice family planning,oppose child marriage,and give up fundamentalism.”
“It will take ten years to finish these. After ten years, we will ask for votes; not now.”
He stated that people who support him and the BJP should not have more than two or three children, must send their daughters to school, cannot engage in child marriage, and must adopt Sufism by renunciating fundamentalism .
Sarma told journalists ,”When these requirements are met, Iwill go with you to ‘char’ to seek votes.”
He claimed that if he knew there were no schools in many “chars,” which are neighbourhoods with a large Muslim
population and who speak Bengali as t. primary language, he would instantly
establish schools there.
Sarma claimed that if he knew that there were no schools in many “chars,” which are neighbourhoods with a large Muslim population and who speak Bengali as their primary language, he would instantly establish schools there.
Sarma further said, “It can’t happen that minority students won’t get a chance to study. We will open seven colleges in minority areas in the coming days.”