Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has triggered fresh political debate with remarks drawing a sharp religious distinction among migrants from Bangladesh, made during campaigning for the West Bengal Assembly elections.
Addressing a public gathering on Saturday, Sarma argued that Hindus and Muslims migrating from Bangladesh should not be treated as a single category. He said Hindus fleeing Bangladesh should be recognised as refugees due to religious persecution, while Muslims entering India without legal documentation should be classified as illegal migrants liable for deportation.
He criticised the Trinamool Congress for what he described as a deliberate conflation of the two groups, stating that such an approach obscures what he sees as clear legal and humanitarian differences. Referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, Sarma said the law provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014.
Reiterating the Bharatiya Janata Party’s position, Sarma said the term infiltrator applies specifically to undocumented Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, while Hindu migrants should be considered refugees.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns about demographic changes in Assam, claiming that unchecked migration has contributed to a rise in the state’s Muslim population. He described the issue as linked to national security and regional stability, adding that authorities have intensified border enforcement measures. According to him, 20 individuals were recently pushed back across the border within 24 hours, and more than 400 people have been deported in recent months.
Describing the BJP’s approach as decisive, Sarma said the party aims to balance what it views as humanitarian responsibility towards persecuted minorities with strict action against illegal immigration, particularly in border states such as Assam and West Bengal.
The remarks come at a time when migration, citizenship and identity remain central to the West Bengal election campaign. While the BJP has defended the Citizenship Amendment Act as a measure to protect vulnerable minorities, critics argue that framing migration along religious lines raises constitutional and secular concerns and adds to an already polarised political climate.
