There’s no problem if Muslims accept Indian culture, laws: Assam CM

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (September 1, 2025) said there would be no problems for Muslims who respect India’s culture and laws.

On the sidelines of an official event in southern Assam’s Sribhumi district, he also said it was unacceptable that people living in India should pledge allegiance to Bangladesh.

“Muslims who consider India as their motherland are with us. There cannot be any problem if they accept India’s culture and laws, but the problem is that some people find it hard to do so,” the Chief Minister told journalists.

Mr. Sarma was critical of people in southern Assam’s Barak Valley (comprising Sribhumi, Cachar, and Hailakandi districts) who tune in to radio channels from across the border. “Staying in Barak Valley and listening to Bangladeshi radio cannot be accepted. Listen to Indian radio channels,” he said.

The Chief Minister also schooled “one Azharuddin”, who asked him a question on secularism.

“My opinion is absolutely clear. Secularism will be realised when a person can fearlessly sing Rabindra Sangeet and say ‘Sribhumi’ instead of ‘Karimganj’,” he posted on X.

A district bordering Bangladesh, Sribhumi is a Muslim-majority district that was called Karimganj before November 2024.

In Silchar town on Sunday, the Chief Minister said the State authorities were dismantling a network of smugglers who bring in Bangladeshi people illegally. He claimed that a syndicate, whose members include local Hindu youth, has been charging ₹20,000 per person to help them cross the border.

Jamiat team in Assam

On Monday, a Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) team led by its president, Maulana Mahmood Madani, visited several relief camps of people affected by a series of eviction drives in Assam.

Niaz Ahmed Farooqui, the JUH secretary, said the delegation travelled 300 km to meet the victims of “bulldozer demolitions” and assured them of unwavering support.

“Our fight is not against the removal of encroachments, but against the inhuman way in which people are being rendered homeless, taking aside the Supreme Court’s directions, and replacing law with threats, fear, and brute force. Such actions are not only against justice but also against humanity,” Mr. Madani said.

“The JUH has always stood with the oppressed and will continue to do so. We are ready even for gallows and chains if needed, but we will never step back from supporting the victims. This has been the shining legacy of our elders, and we will uphold it,” he said.

The Assam Chief Minister has been critical of Mr. Madani’s views on the eviction drives. “We have a long agenda against ideas like Madani’s... We will work against that idea of turning Assam into a fundamentalist Islamic State,” Mr. Sarma said a few days ago.