Assam CM’s remarks violate Constitution, urge Supreme Court, president to intervene: Ex-bureaucrats

A group of retired civil servants and former diplomats on Friday urged the Supreme Court and the president to take cognisance of recent remarks made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about Bengali Muslims in the state, saying that the comments amount to a “brazen” violation of the Constitution.

In an open letter, the Constitutional Conduct Group said that the “nastiness” of the speeches made by Sarma came as a shock, adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party leader “thinks nothing of trampling upon the fundamental rights” of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam by violating Article 14 and Article 15 of the Constitution.

Article 14 guarantees equality before the law and Article 15 prohibits discrimination against citizens on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Over the past two weeks, Sarma has made several remarks about Bengali Muslims in the state, and said that it was his job to “make them suffer”.

On Friday, the Constitutional Conduct Group said that Sarma had labelled all Bengali Muslims in Assam as Miyas, adding that the BJP leader has accused them of being Bangladeshis who have no right to stay in Assam or in India.

“According to his [Sarma] understanding there are no Bengali Muslims in India who are Indian...

Read more