Muslim population in Assam will be almost equal to Hindus by 2041 if present growth continues: Himanta Biswa Sarma
Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting here, Sarma claimed that out of around 34 per cent Muslims as per the 2011 census, 31 per cent were those who had migrated to Assam earlier.
When asked if Assamese indigenous people will become a minority after some years, he said, 'This is not my take, it is just the Census result. Today as per the 2011 Census, 34 per cent of the population is Muslim.' Out of the total Muslim population of the state, three per cent are indigenous Assamese Muslims, Sarma stated.
'…then the 31 per cent are the Muslims who had migrated to Assam. And if you project that for 2021, 2031 and 2041, you will come to almost a 50:50 position. I am just stating what the statistical census report says,' he claimed.
The CM said that empirical data and past census records show that in a few years from now, Assam's Muslim population will be close to 50 per cent.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
7 minutes ago
- Hans India
Kishan Reddy accuses Congress of betraying BCs with its reservation policies
Hyderabad: In a sharp critique of the Congress Party's reservation framework, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy accused Congress of deliberately misleading Backward Classes (BCs) with its proposed 42 per cent reservation scheme for local bodies, which includes a 10 per cent quota for Muslims. Addressing the media in the national capital, Delhi, on Friday, the Minister referred to a precedent set by former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, who introduced a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the BC-E category during his tenure. This action was struck down twice by the High Court. Although Congress later obtained a stay from the Supreme Court to continue implementing the reservation, Reddy contends that this move was 'unconstitutional' and detrimental to the core BC groups. Kishan Reddy alleged that Congress inflated BC population figures by including 10 per cent Muslims in the claimed 56 per cent BC demographic, reducing actual BC numbers to 46 per cent. He said that the party's attempt to hike the Muslim reservation quota from 4 per cent to 10 per cent within the BC framework is labeled as unjust. Referring to the GHMC elections, where 34 per cent BC reservations allegedly benefited AIMIM candidates, not genuine BCs, he added. Reddy emphasized that reservations historically apply to castes engaged in traditional hereditary occupations and accused Congress of diverting these benefits for political appeasement. He warned that, under the guise of uplifting BCs, Congress was actually diminishing the 34 per cent BC quota to 32% after merging the 10 per cent Muslim component. The Minister highlighted the BJP's achievements in promoting BC leadership, including the appointment of BC members to the Union Cabinet and the granting of constitutional status to the BC Commission. He contrasted this with Congress's alleged failure to elevate BCs to Chief Minister or Prime Minister positions since independence. Kishan Reddy criticized the Congress leaders' remarks questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's community. He clarified that Modi was included in the BC list in 1994 under the Congress-led government of Gujarat, which occurred before his political ascent. He also questioned the logic behind labeling several communities as 'converted' BCs, citing the inclusion of Vishwakarmas and the Lambada community in SC/ST lists over decades. Calling out Congress's decline in electoral relevance, Reddy asserted that the party had been rejected in key states and faced significant losses, including zero seats in Delhi. He attributed the recent personal attacks on Modi to frustration among Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy. He said that the BJP is demanding that local body elections be conducted in line with Telangana High Court orders and that the proposed 42 per cent BC reservations exclude Muslim beneficiaries. Kishan Reddy urged Congress to clarify who stands to gain from this model and challenged Revanth Reddy to resign as Chief Minister in favor of a BC candidate.
Hans India
37 minutes ago
- Hans India
Ramchander Rao lashes out at Revanth over his ‘converted BC' remarks on Modi
Hyderabad: Mounting a vitriolic attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Telangana State BJP chief N Ramachander Rao questioned how Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, with a Parsi grandfather and a Catholic mother, could claim to be a 'Janudhari Brahmin' while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is labeled a 'converted BC'? In a chit chat with the media on Friday, Ramachandra Rao claimed that the Telangana Chief Minister might be under the illusion of having invented a new category, referring to 'converted BC.' He criticized the Congress party for being willing to stoop to any low for the sake of power, emphasizing the need for civilized political discourse. Rao noted that Modi's community was included in the list of OBCs by the Gujarat State BC Commission long before Modi entered politics. Various communities have been recognized by their respective State BC Commissions over the years. According to him, the Chief Minister's rhetoric constitutes not only a personal attack on Modi but also an insult to everyone included in the BC category, exposing the Congress party's anti-Backward Classes mindset. Ramachander Rao highlighted that the BJP supports the state government's policy of 42 percent reservations for BCs, but the responsibility for its implementation lies with the Congress-led government in Telangana. He listed several cases related to the Supreme Court's 50 percent reservations cap, indicating that incorporating this cap under Schedule IX is subject to judicial review. He also mentioned that the BJP opposes religion-based reservations, clarifying that the party is not against Muslims. He pointed out that Muslims have already been provided reservations under the BC-E and EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) categories. Besides, Congress seeks to provide an additional 10 percent reservation for Muslims across the community. Rao reminded that it was during the BJP-led NDA government that separate SC and ST Commissions and Ministries were created at the national level. Furthermore, it was the BJP government under PM Modi that granted constitutional status to the OBC Commission. He highlighted that the BJP has an OBC Morcha, has appointed a BC Prime Minister, and has given more opportunities to BCs, SCs, STs, and minorities than the Congress party. Regarding Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's support for former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya for the Vice President position, Ramachandra Rao dared the Chief Minister to step down and appoint Minister Ponnam Prabhakar or the Pradesh Congress chief as the Chief Minister to prove his and his party's commitment to BC interests. Ramachander Rao announced that a new state party committee would be formed in the next week. He urged leaders and party workers to work diligently to strengthen the BJP and to focus on the mission of bringing the party to power in Telangana. In response to a question, he stated that the national party would address any differences among party leaders privately, emphasizing that the BJP is like a family and that it is better to resolve issues internally rather than airing grievances in public.
Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Bihar SIR first draft ready; an update on Justice Varma removal notice
The first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls concluded on Friday and the Election Commission (EC) said about 92% of 7.89 crore registered voters in the state would remain on the draft rolls to be published on August 1. About 8%, or approximately 65 lakh names, are likely to be removed from the draft rolls after they were found to be either deceased, registered in more than one place, permanently migrated to another place, or untraceable, according to the EC. The poll panel said 7.23 crore electors had submitted their forms, approximately 22 lakh of the electors were found to have passed away, an estimated 7 lakh were registered in more than one location, and approximately 35 lakh had either permanently migrated or could not be traced. This accounts for 99.8% of the total electors. The forms of 1.2 lakh electors had not been received till Friday evening, the EC said. The list of those who had not submitted their forms or were found to have either died or migrated had been shared with 12 national and state parties, the poll body said. While the names of 65 lakh electors are expected to be removed in the first phase, the final roll scheduled to be published on September 30 could see further deletions as electors' documents have not yet been taken into account. Those whose names do not make it to the draft can also appeal in the claims-and-objections phase, which will run from August 1 to September 1, and make it to the final list. The EC on June 24 announced the voter-verification drive in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due to be held later this year. The EC had said only those electors whose forms were received by July 25 would be included in the draft roll. In addition to the forms, those added to the rolls after January 1, 2003, are required to submit documents from a list of 11 specified by the poll body, establishing their eligibility to be electors, that is, age and citizenship. Though the 'detailed guidelines' issued along with the June 24 order said the electors would have to submit the documents along with their forms, the poll panel clarified on July 6 that the electors could submit their documents in the claims-and-objections period. A batch of petitions has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the SIR exercise. The Indian Express has published a series of reports on the sense of unease that the SIR exercise triggered in Bihar, from voters belonging to the Extremely Backward Classes and minority communities to the upper castes. This unease was palpable from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's turf in Nalanda and RJD chief Lalu Prasad's Raghopur in Vaishali to Muslim-dominated Seemanchal. The notice for removal of Justice Yashwant Varma is likely to be taken up in the Lok Sabha, with that 'received' by former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in the Rajya Sabha unlikely to be considered. The announcement by Dhankhar, as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, that he had 'received' a notice for the removal of Justice Varma from 63 Opposition MPs is believed to have triggered the series of events leading to his resignation as VP. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said: 'All the political parties have agreed that the removal of Justice Yashwant Verma has to be a joint call. Now there should be no issue with regard to which House it has to be moved. Once we have agreed that it will be moved in the Lok Sabha… it will be concurred in the Rajya Sabha as per rule… So we should not remain under any doubt that the discussion and the motion, everything, will begin in the Lok Sabha, and the Rajya Sabha, as per rule, will give concurrence and there will be a thorough discussion in the Rajya Sabha also.' This was decided by consensus among all parties, Rijiju emphasised. While presiding over the Rajya Sabha Monday, hours before he resigned, Dhankhar said he had 'received a notice of motion' from the Opposition for constituting a statutory committee for removal of Justice Varma. He added: 'I direct the Secretary General to find out whether a similar motion has been moved in the House of People, the Lok Sabha… This is being done for the purpose that under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, the procedure (in such a case) is different.' Under the Act, if a notice to remove a judge is presented in both the Houses of Parliament on the same day, then the committee for inquiry is to be constituted jointly by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Since Dhankhar's resignation, the post of Chairman is vacant. Former Union minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju will be sworn in as the new governor of Goa on Saturday in a function at Raj Bhavan, an official said on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony will take place at 11.30 am, and several dignitaries, including Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, are expected to be present, a state government spokesperson said. Raju, 74, a veteran Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader from Andhra Pradesh, will succeed P S Sreedharan Pillai as the Goa Governor. He served as the civil aviation minister between May 27, 2014 and March 10, 2018, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has also held ministerial posts in the Andhra Pradesh government.
