Ashish Ranjan
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, promised to continue his crackdown on madrasas in the state, claiming that people prefer to pursue education in schools and colleges.”I have shut down 600 madrasas, and I intend to shut down all madrasas because we do not want them. We want schools, colleges, and universities,” Himanta Biswa said on Thursday while addressing the BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Yatra in Karnataka’s Belagavi, a city that will soon hold elections.
Himanta Biswa Sarma famously enacted a controversial law in Assam in 2020 mandating the conversion of all state-run madrasas into “regular schools” that provide “general education.” There are 3,000 registered and unregistered madrasas in the state as of January 2023.
The senior BJP leader stepped up his rhetoric against illegal immigrants, claiming that “people from Bangladesh come to Assam and pose a threat to our civilization and culture.”
THE CONGRESS ARE THE “NEW MUGHALS”
He also attacked the Congress and the Left, accusing them of propagating a so-called pro-Mughal narrative that distorts India’s history.
“Congress and Communists demonstrated that Babur, Aurangzeb, and Shah Jahan dominated India’s history. Sarma stated, “I wish to convey that India’s history was not about them, but rather about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Guru Gobind Singh, and Swami Vivekananda.”
He compared the Congress to the Mughals and labeled the opposition party the “new Mughals” for its efforts to weaken the nation. He criticized the party for bringing up the Babri Mandir issue and opposing the building of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
I control fifty percent of the Congress in Assam, says Chief Minister Himanta Sarma
He stated that in stark contrast to the Congress, the BJP believes in constructing temples rather than destroying them.
“Once upon a time, the ruler of Delhi would speak of demolishing temples, but today, under the leadership of PM Modi, I speak of constructing temples. This is the modern India. The Congress endeavors to diminish this new India. Today, Congress represents the new Mughals, said Sarma.
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He continued by stating that many Indians proudly identify as Muslim and Christian. “I have no problem with that, but we need someone who can say with pride, “I am Hindu.” Today, India requires such a person, said the BJP leader.
