Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday made a big claim about the northeastern state. Sarma said at a press conference that his state will become a Muslim-majority nation by 2041, citing the rise in the community's population.
"By 2041, Assam will become a Muslim-majority state. It's a reality and nobody can stop it," he said. Sarma added that the Muslim population in his state is growing around 30 per cent every 10 years.
He further said that Muslims have now become 40 per cent of Assam's population as per statistical sampling.
Assam CM noted that the Hindu community's population is increasing by around 16 per cent every 10 years, while adding that his government is taking steps to reduce population growth among Muslims.
Himanta, however, took this opportunity to take a jibe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
"Congress has the most important role in arresting the population growth of Muslims... If Rahul Gandhi becomes the brand ambassador of population control, it will be contained as the community only listens to him," Sarma said.
This is not the first time that Sarma has flagged the issue of population rise in the Muslim community. On Wednesday, the Assam CM said Muslim population in Assam shot up to 40 per cent from 12 per cent since 1951.
He added that the change in the state's demography was a "big issue". "We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me," he further asserted.
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi countered Sarma's claims. The Hyderabad MP accused Himanta of lying and claims that the latter hates Muslims of Assam.
"In 1951, the Muslim population was 24.68 per cent. He is a liar, and he hates Muslims of Assam. In 1951, there was Assam... Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya were not there," Owaisi said.
He further said that in 2001, the Muslim population was 30.92 per cent and in the 2011 census, it was 34.22 per cent. "Due to his lies, the entire administration hates the Muslims," the AIMIM chief further said.