Key Points
Himanta Biswa Sarma said eviction drives and Special Revision notices apply only to ‘Miyas’, a pejporative term for Bengali-speaking Muslims, not indigenous Assamese people.
He also said that the 'Miya' community posed a demographic threat to indigenous populations in the state, warning for vigilence against the.
The rhetoric came around Republic Day, shortly before polls in the state. It also reflects points made by Sarma repeatedly in the previous year.
At recent events in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric ahead of the 2026 Assembly Elections, warning of a demographic threat to indigenous populations, calling for mobilisation against Bengali-speeaking Muslims, and boasting of actions taken and to be taken against the community under his leadership.
Addressing reporters on the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls in Assam, CM Sarma, on 24 January 2026, said that eviction drives and electoral verification measures in the state have targeted only “Miyas”, a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims, and not indigenous Assamese communities. Then, on 26 January 2026, at a Republic Day event in the state, he raised concerns of a possible demographic shift posed by ‘Miyas’.
His remarks come amid opposition criticism of targeted eviction notices being issued by the State and ahead of the Assembly elections due in early 2026.
Sarma told reporters in Guwahati on Saturday that eviction drives would be carried out in the hills surrounding the city. He said no such action would take place before the elections. After the election – “We will continue to disturb the “Miyas”, only to tame them down. If we don't do this, then they will dance over our heads,” he said.
Pointing to the BJP’s decade-long rule in the state, Sarma asked, “The BJP has been in power in the state for 10 years now. Where has eviction been carried out in Guwahati hills?” He said the government was instead working to provide land rights to people living in the hills “without taking any premium”. “Eviction notice will be given to any Miya residing in the hills, but not to Assamese people,” he said.
Sarma also defended the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls, which has been criticised by opposition parties over alleged misuse of Form 7 and fears of harassment of genuine voters. “There is no controversy over SR,” he said, asking whether “any notice has been served to any Hindu or indigenous Assamese”.
He said that the government would continue issuing SR notices, eviction notices and border police notices to the community. “We will keep doing this within the ambit of the law,” he said. “We are with the poor, be it Hindu or Muslim or the Miyas. But it is not acceptable if they want to finish our civilisation. So these notices and disturbances will continue.”
“I have said this in the past as well that we will keep troubling them. There is nothing to hide here. They should understand that Assamese people are resisting somewhere. If we stop poking them, then they will think that Assamese people are defeated.”
Earlier, in 2025, Sarma had made similar claims targeting the Bengali-speaking Muslim community in Assam, adding that he did not want or need any votes from the demographic. He also engaged in several instances of hate speech over the year, and has frequently peddled rhetoric framing Bengali-speaking Muslims as ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ who threaten the indigenous population of Assam.
On Monday, at Dibrugarh, he cautioned that unchecked migration and demographic changes could threaten Assam’s social fabric, claiming that the Miya Muslim population could increase to 40% in the 2027 Census. “The existence of Assamese people is under threat due to Bangladesh-origin Muslims,” Sarma said, calling for heightened awareness and vigilance.
At the same event, he highlighted his government’s developmental achievements in the state, saying, “Assam is no longer a backward state. It is now among the leading states contributing to a developed India.”
He also highlighted his government’s plans for development in the state, announcing plans for rail and road connectivity across the Brahmaputra, innovative initiatives, including oil production from bamboo and the manufacturing of information technology chips within the state.
These promises come ahead Assemble Elections in the state in early 2026. With the polls in mind, he also warned citizens to prioritise indigenous rights.
At the press briefing on Saturday, Sarma accused the Congress of appeasing Bengali-speaking Muslims. “The Congress has said it received 750 applications for party tickets. What they didn’t say is that 600 of these applicants are Miyas,” he said, adding, “There has been a ‘Miya ujan’ in Rajiv Bhawan.”
He also alleged that opposition parties would unite in the elections “for the sake of the Miyas” and claimed that Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Akhil Gogoi wanted to turn Assam into a “Miyaland”.
The Chief Minister also said details of alleged Pakistan links involving Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi would be made public soon. “I want to reveal it by January 31. But since there is the Union Budget on February 1, there might be a delay by a day or two,” he said.
(With inputs from IANS)
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