Assam CM Claims 55:45 Ratio Of Muslim-Hindu Arrests In Child Marriage

GUWAHATI: Despite the mentioning, that child marriage is "more prevalent in Muslim-majority areas," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday, that his administration informed about nearly equal numbers of Muslims and Hindus who were detained in child marriage cases.

Since the raid on February 3, he claimed, there have been 55.45% arrests of Muslims compared to around 45% Hindus.

"According to statistics from the National Family Health Survey 5, the problem is worst in the Muslim-majority districts of Dhubri and South Salmara, not Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. Yet, because you communalise everything, I instructed the Dibrugarh SP to also collect a few from that area.”

“The most underage weddings and births occur in Lower Assam districts [where there is a higher Muslim population], according to NFHS-4 data gathered during the period of Congress”, he added.

Assam's Muslims, according to Sarma, have never before lived as harmoniously as they do now.

“Have there been conflicts between groups in Udalguri? Has BTR seen any racial conflicts? Conflicts between groups, have they occurred in Kokrajhar? Muslims in Assam have never coexisted in such harmony as they do now. All of them are enrolling in schools and universities”, the CM added.

Himanta Biswa Sarma further mentioned about accusations towards the government of giving 60% of the homes purchased through the PM Awas Yojna to Muslims. The number of roads being constructed in Muslim areas today is unprecedented, he remarked.

He said that the law under which people are being evicted from forest areas as part of the state's ongoing anti-encroachment effort had been passed by a Congress-led government at the Center and accused opposition MLAs of crying "crocodile tears" for the general public.

He added that the “real problem” is not evictions but of the lack of population control in Lower Assam districts.

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