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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the Muslim population in his state is growing around 30 per cent every 10 years, and they will become the majority by 2041.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati as reported by PTI, he said Muslims have now become 40 per cent of Assam’s population as per “statistical sampling”.
“By 2041, Assam will become a Muslim-majority state. It’s a reality and nobody can stop it,” he asserted. The chief minister said the population of the Hindu community is rising by around 16 per cent every 10 years.
Sarma said his government has taken steps to reduce population growth among the Muslim community.
The fresh statement by Sarma on the Muslim population of Assam comes two days after he expressed ‘concern’ at the ‘changing demography’ of the northeastern state.
“Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslims are 40% of the population today. In 1951, they were 12%. This is not a political issue but a matter of life and death for me,” he stated.
On July 1, without naming any community, the BJP leader alleged that ‘a section of people from a particular religion’ were indulging in criminal activities in Assam.
Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Sushmita Dev reacting Sarma’s comments , in a video message posted on X, said: “Assam CM’s statement in Jharkhand is incorrect. The data given by him is false. In 1952, Muslim population in Assam was not 12 per cent, it was 25 per cent. Assam is a border state with Bangladesh, many people had come here after Partition.” “I want to remind the CM that Government of India was to conduct the census in 2021, which it did not do on the pretext of COVID. So, from where did this 40 per cent figure come?” the former Lok Sabha MP added.
