Political Storm in Assam After CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Remarks on ‘Miya’ Muslims and Form-7

A major political controversy has erupted in Assam following strong remarks made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of the electoral rolls in the state.

Addressing party workers, the Chief Minister stated that he had asked BJP cadres to submit Form-7 applications—used for deletion of names from voter lists—against members of the “Miya” community. He claimed that nearly five lakh names would be removed from the electoral rolls during the revision process.

The statement has triggered sharp reactions from opposition parties, particularly the Congress, which has accused the ruling BJP of misusing the voter list revision mechanism for political purposes.

During his remarks, Sarma alleged that a section of the “Miya” population consisted of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. He said that if no notices were issued during the Special Revision exercise, it would imply that there were no foreigners left in Assam. Based on suspicion, he claimed, complaints had been filed against individuals believed to be non-citizens.

The Chief Minister’s comments did not stop there. Another statement attributed to him — related to interactions with members of the Miya community — has also drawn criticism and intensified the political backlash.

Opposition leaders termed the remarks divisive and unconstitutional, accusing the Chief Minister of openly encouraging harassment of a particular community.

Reacting strongly, Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia wrote a letter to the Chief Justice of India, urging the judiciary to take suo motu cognisance of what he described as the large-scale misuse of the Special Revision process. The Congress has also approached the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, demanding immediate intervention.

“The voter list revision is a constitutional exercise. It cannot be converted into a political or communal tool,” Congress leaders said, alleging that Form-7 applications were being filed indiscriminately.

The Election Commission has so far not issued an official response to the controversy. Meanwhile, political temperatures continue to rise in the state, especially with Assembly elections approaching in the coming months.

The developments have once again placed Assam at the centre of a national debate over citizenship, electoral fairness, and the use of administrative processes in politically sensitive regions.