All India United Democratic Front chief Badruddin Ajmal says his party would vehemently oppose the move
Team Clarion
GUWAHATI — Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has drawn sharp criticism for suggesting the introduction of stringent law on “Love Jihad” with the punishment of life term and curbs on land sale to Muslims.
Speaking at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state executive meeting here on Sunday, the chief minister said: “At the time of elections, we had spoken about Love Jihad. In the coming days, we will bring a new law that will introduce life imprisonment as a penalty for Love Jihad cases,” he said.
‘Love Jihad’ is a bogey peddled by the Hindutva groups and the BJP of Hindu women being lured to embrace the Islamic faith. BJP governments in some states have brought in laws to curb conversion and interfaith marriages.
Sarma also said that the state would make the chief minister’s consent necessary for land transactions between Hindus and Muslims.
“Earlier, there was inter-religious land transfers. Hindus’ lands were bought by Muslims, Muslims’ lands were bought by Hindus. The government cannot prevent such transactions but it has decided that for the land of a Hindu to be bought by a Muslim and vice-versa, there can be land sale permission only after the chief minister’s consent is taken,” he said.
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal slammed Sarma over his remarks. “Every citizen of this country has a right to buy land in Assam. It is unfortunate that the chief minister has proposed to bring a law to restrict a section of people from buying land in the state. This is a gross injustice to the general people. Our party will vehemently oppose any such move by the government,” he said.
Ajmal asserted that Chief Minister Sarma wants to bring such a law only to appease Hindu voters which might help the BJP in the next assembly elections scheduled in 2026. The AIUDF leader also alleged that the chief minister has been trying to snatch the rights of Muslims enshrined in the Constitution of India.
“Majority of Hindu people in the country are secular and not communal. Himanta Sarma has repealed the Muslim Marriage Registration Act of 1935. This has made the citizens extremely unhappy. If any BJP leader asks the common people, he/she will understand the anger of the citizens,” he said.
Reacting to the announcement made by Sarma in this regard, senior Supreme Court judge Sanjay Hegde said: “You don’t need 400 paar to hollow out the constitution, you only need a few courts to strategically look away. Ultimately the Constitution is what people make of it. The limitations upon power in a constitutional democracy would not reward such behaviour.”
