Golaghat, 29 January (HS): Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday strongly defended his remarks related to the ‘Miya’ issue, asserting that his statements cannot be termed undemocratic. Addressing the media in Golaghat after a program on Thursday, the Chief Minister said he had never claimed that “Miyas have engulfed Assam,” but that the Supreme Court itself, in its IMDT judgment, had clearly documented the issue of illegal infiltration page after page.

Sarma said the term ‘Miya’ is one that people themselves choose to use, and challenged the Congress to prove him wrong on his assertion that there are no Bangladeshis in Assam. “If Congress believes my statement is incorrect, they should come forward with proof,” he said.

Taking a sharper dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister stated that much stronger observations about Bangladeshi infiltration in Assam were made in the past by eminent leaders like Gopinath Bordoloi and Ambikagiri Raichoudhury. “Congress should first say whether Gopinath Bordoloi was wrong,” Sarma remarked.

Responding to criticism from opposition parties over his comments, Sarma maintained that raising concerns about infiltration and demographic change is rooted in historical facts and constitutional processes and should not be misrepresented for political gain.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash