Guwahati, 18th July: All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sushmita Dev has refuted Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent claims regarding the Muslim population in Assam in 1951. According to Dev, the Muslim population in Assam in 1951 was 25 percent, not the 12 percent stated by Sarma.
Dev took to social media to correct what she called a “false statement” from Sarma. She stated, “According to government data in 1952, 25 percent of the Muslim population was registered. I want to remind Assam CM that the Indian Government was supposed to conduct the population census but given the Covid-19 excuse, the census to date has not taken place…then how did the 40 percent figure come from?” Dev also criticized Sarma for not fully sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border, noting that only 78 percent has been secured.
This rebuttal follows Sarma’s claim on Wednesday that the Muslim population in Assam has now risen to 40 percent, describing demographic change as a “big issue” for the northeastern state. Sarma, who is also the BJP’s Jharkhand election co-in charge, made these comments on the sidelines of a party meeting, emphasizing the demographic shift as a significant concern beyond politics.
“I come from Assam and demographic change is a big issue for me. Muslim population in my state is 40 percent now, which was 12 percent in 1951. It is not a political issue for me, but a matter of life and death,” Sarma told reporters.
Dev’s response highlights the ongoing debate over demographic statistics and their implications in Assam, raising questions about the accuracy and use of population data in political discourse.
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