Ranchi/Kolkata: Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Chief Minister and in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Jharkhand unit, is known for alleging that Bangladeshi infiltrators are present in Jharkhand. In a significant turn of events, however, he is now campaigning for a BJP candidate in an Assam bypoll who has been accused of being a Bangladeshi.
In Dholai, Nihar Ranjan Das, the BJP candidate, faces allegations of Bangladeshi origin, first raised by independent candidate Amiya Kanti Das. Amiya Kanti, previously with the BJP, filed his nomination independently after being denied a ticket but later withdrew it. Now, the Congress has raised concerns, questioning why Assam’s Chief Minister is campaigning for a candidate alleged to be of Bangladeshi nationality.
On November 3, Assam Congress President Bhupen Kumar Borah asked, “Why is a Bangladeshi national contesting on a BJP ticket from Dholai?” The Assam Congress’s X (formerly Twitter) account posted a video of Borah’s statement, demanding an answer from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Das has since downplayed the issue.
Sarma responded to the Congress raising questions about the citizenship of his 48-year-old BJP candidate from Dholai on Tuesday, contending that raising such questions could provoke the foreigners tribunal to send notices to other Bengali Hindus leading to their harassment.
Since Assam chief minister’s appointment as BJP’s in-charge of Jharkhand, he has repeatedly alleged that Bangladeshi infiltration is occurring in Jharkhand with the support of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc. His rhetoric intensified following the announcement of the state assembly polls.
Complaints for Sarma’s hate speech
Aside from these allegations, the chief minister has also faced accusations of delivering hate speeches. “We have filed three complaints with the Election Commission and met with Chief Election Commissioner of Jharkhand, K Ravi Kumar, to demand action against Himanta Biswa Sarma for his hate speeches. We also requested that the Assam Chief Minister be barred from entering Jharkhand,” Siraj Dutta, a prominent activist of Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha told eNewsroom.
The INDIA bloc candidate from Hussainabad Kushwaha Shivpujan Mehta has also filed a case (3359/2024) in the Daltonganj court, Palamau against the BJP chief minister for a hate speech delivered in the area.
However, the Election Commission has yet to take any action on these complaints.
