Overview
- Himanta Biswa Sarma refused to retract remarks urging people to "trouble" those he labels Miya Muslims, including telling rickshaw users to underpay fares so the community "leaves Assam."
- The chief minister framed his stance as targeting alleged illegal migrants from Bangladesh, not any religion or Indian citizen, invoking a Supreme Court observation about a "silent and invidious demographic invasion."
- Sarma claimed BJP workers lodged over five lakh objections during the special revision of electoral rolls and said four to five lakh Miya voters could be deleted, assertions critics say weaponise the process.
- Opposition leaders escalated challenges, with Assam’s Leader of Opposition urging the Chief Justice of India to act, activist Harsh Mander and others filing police complaints, and the All India Muslim Personal Law Board sending formal letters to top authorities.
- Union home minister Amit Shah amplified the anti-infiltration message on the campaign trail, alleging Congress-era demographic change and pledging to identify and send back illegal infiltrators if the BJP wins another term.