Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi challenged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claims that the Muslims in Assam had crossed 40 per cent of the state’s population. Owaisi pointed out that according to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in Assam was 34.22 per cent, not exceeding 40 per cent as Sarma claimed. He further noted that in the 2001 Census, the Muslim population was 30.92 per cent.
In a post on X, Owaisi accused the Assam CM of spreading falsehoods and labelled him as one of the top five liars in the country, alleging that Sarma harboured animosity towards Assam's Muslims.
Sarma, speaking at a programme in Ranchi, had vowed to combat the 'demographic change' in the state, stating that the Muslim population had risen from 12 per cent in 1951 to over 40 per cent in recent times. Sarma described the changing demography as a critical issue, emphasising, "We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death."
