A statement by Congress leader Mohsin Khan has kicked up a new political storm in Assam, with the BJP reportedly alleging that the 'Grand Old Party' has become the ideological successor of the Muslim League.
The trouble began when Khan, a known face of the Congress student wing NSUI, demanded that 48 seats should be reserved for the minority Miya Muslims in the Assam Assembly. The ruling BJP was quick to cry foul, claiming this is a serious conspiracy against indigenous communities and a dangerous promotion of Islamist extremist politics in the state.
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BJP reacts
It was Assam BJP spokesperson Kamal Kumar Medhi who then accused the Congress of abandoning its nationalist legacy to become the ideological successor of the Muslim League, Jansatta said in a report. Kamal reportedly pointed out that neither the Assam Pradesh Congress nor the national leadership of the NSUI has condemned Mohsin Khan’s statement or distanced itself from it, describing their silence as tacit approval.
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The BJP leader claimed that while Congress icons such as Gopinath Bordoloi had fought attempts to merge Assam with Pakistan, the contemporary party is walking a different path. Kamal Kumar added that Mohsin Khan's words were irresponsible and deeply alarming, given that they came at a time when Islamist extremist forces were attempting to establish political dominance in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Jansatta report said. These fundamentalist groups in Dhaka were harbouring hostile intentions against the entire Northeast of India, he reportedly added.
Under party president Gaurav Gogoi, the Assam BJP spokesperson claimed, the Assam Congress was trying to weaken indigenous Assamese society. He alleged that Gogoi’s close associates within the Congress have supported this demand and that the party has given it ideological backing. According to the Hindi daily, the spokesperson said that several Congress leaders, including Rakibul Hussain, had earlier spoken in favour of reserving Assembly seats for Miya Muslims. He also mentioned past demands by Miya Muslim leaders for the formation of “Miyaland” (a separate Miya autonomous council) and a Miya museum at Kalakshetra.
Who are Miya Muslims?
Miya Muslims are a Bengali-speaking Muslim community in Assam whose ancestors migrated from what is now Bangladesh (formerly East Bengal) over many decades — especially during British colonial rule. The Partition and the Bangladesh Liberation War also witnessed two further tides of migration to Assam. The community is reportedly concentrated in Lower and Central Assam districts such as Barpeta, Dhubri, and Goalpara. The Assam Assembly has 126 seats in total.
The Indian National Congress has not yet issued an official response to the BJP’s allegations, multiple media reports said.
