Opposition Urges President to Sack Assam CM

Guwahati: A day after filing an FIR with police, the Forum of Opposition political parties on Thursday has written to President Droupadi Murmu pleading to"sack" Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his "communal and divisive" remarks in the state Assembly. The letter was sent through Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday.

Mr Sarma said in the Assembly that he would take sides to stop "Miya" Muslims from "taking over" Assam.

It is significant on Wednesday, the Opposition parties lodged an FIR against Mr Sarma asking for his arrest. They accused Mr Sarma of attempting to incite communal tension by targeting a particular community, potentially leading to riot-like situations in the state.

The complaint was filed by Lurinjyoti Gogoi, general secretary of the United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA), at Dispur police station. Mr Gogoi was accompanied by leaders of other parties of the Forum.

The UOFA is an alliance of 18 parties in Assam, aligned with the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Referring to the alleged gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in Dhing, which evoked widespread condemnations and protests, the UOFA claimed that Mr Sarma is ‘trying to whip up communal frenzy by targeting a particular community'.

It has already resulted in "attack on some people belonging to religious minority in Sivasagar by BJP workers and leaders", the opposition parties claimed, adding that it had been done as "part of conspiracy to create a riot like situation in the state and the accused named Himanta Biswa Sarma and other BJP leaders are part of the criminal conspiracy to create such unrest".

The UOFA also alleged that Mr Sarma has a history of making provocative statements against a particular community, referencing an instance from a year ago when the chief minister reportedly urged the public to evict individuals of a specific religious community, whom he referred to as ‘Miya’, from Guwahati.