On Tuesday, the All-India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) staged a walkout from the Assam Assembly after Speaker Biswajit Daimary rejected their adjournment motion aimed at discussing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s controversial remarks regarding the ‘Miya’ community, a term often viewed pejoratively for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. AIUDF Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Aminul Islam, presenting the motion, accused the Chief Minister of inciting violence against the Miya community through his provocative statements. He emphasized that following the Chief Minister’s remarks, there had been reports of physical attacks on Miya individuals in Upper Assam, alongside the intimidation of landlords regarding renting to Bengali-speaking Muslims. Islam stated that such phenomena were unprecedented in India, where individuals faced restrictions on travel for work within the same state. He expressed concern over vigilante justice proliferating due to perceived inactions by police. He claimed the situation was both recent and of grave public concern, necessitating urgent discussion through an adjournment motion. However, Speaker Daimary acknowledged the topic’s significance but suggested that it should be addressed during the Motion of Thanks for the Governor’s address, ultimately declining the adjournment motion while citing the day’s scheduled ‘vote on account’ presentation as a reason for his decision.
