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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi, alleging that Congress leaders only "care about illegal Bangladeshi migrants" and not about the interests of indigenous Assamese.
Responding to Gogoi's allegations against him, Sarma said, "They only care about illegal Bangladeshi migrants and have no concern for local Assamese people. Thousand Gaurav Gogoi and Rahul Gandhi will be able to do nothing as far as I am concerned. Right now, the situation is very crucial for Assamese people, and it is about their existence in the state." The Chief Minister's remarks come amid an ongoing political row over his recent comments on illegal immigration and the use of the term "Miya Muslims". Earlier today, CM Sarma had defended his remarks, stating that he had not coined the term "Miya Muslims" and that it had been in vogue within the community itself, which had migrated from Bangladesh to refer to themselves. In a post on X, CM Sarma said those attacking him for his remarks on "Miyan" should note the Supreme Court of India's observations on Assam and illegal migration. "Those who are attacking me for my remarks on 'Miyan'--a word used in Assam in the context of Bangladeshi Muslim illegal migration--should pause and read what the Supreme Court of India itself has said about Assam. This is not my language, not my imagination, and not political exaggeration," he said. In his post, the Chief Minister also highlighted the apex court's warning on demographic changes in Assam. "These are the Court's own words: The silent and invidious demographic invasion of Assam may result in the loss of the geostrategically vital districts of lower Assam. The influx of illegal migrants is turning these districts into a Muslim-majority region. It will then only be a matter of time before a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made. Loss of lower Assam will sever the entire land mass of the North East from the rest of India, and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the Nation." Sarma also said that acknowledging such concerns does not constitute communalism or hatred. Reacting to this, Gogoi accused CM Sarma earlier today of misusing the name of the Supreme Court to justify his remarks, claiming that attributing the language of an executive report to the apex court amounted to contempt of court. "The Chief Minister has become quiet after I raised his contempt of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Of course the rest of the BJP just runs on rhetoric and screenshots. They run the risk of contempt too. When a court cites a report relied on by a party it does not make the language of the report the court's "own words". Attributing it to the Hon'ble Supreme Court is a clear case for contempt," Gogoi wrote on X. (ANI)
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