Harass The Miyas: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Justifies Publicly

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday has categorically denied any controversy surrounding the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls, asserting that no notices have been served to “genuine Hindus” or “Assamese Muslims.” 

However, his own public statements have raised serious concerns over the intent, fairness, and constitutional sanctity of the exercise.

In remarks that have drawn widespread criticism, the Chief Minister sarcastically stated that notices must be served to people belonging to the Miya community—Muslims of Bengali origin—warning that otherwise “they will get over the head of the people of Assam” (gain undue influence over others). He went on to justify what he openly described as a policy of continued harassment, claiming that SR notices, eviction notices, and Border Police cases should be issued “from time to time” to keep the community under pressure.

The CM further suggested that objections raised even by BJP members against a voter’s citizenship (suspicious) should be acted upon, that objections before the Border Police should be entertained, and that people residing (miya community people) on government land must be routinely served notices. His remarks, framed as being “under the rule of law,” appeared less like an assurance of due process and more like a political endorsement of intimidation as a governance tool.

Such statements stand in sharp contrast to the Chief Minister’s repeated claim that the SR process is neutral, fair, and free of controversy.

Ground Reality Tells a Different Story

Reports from multiple districts suggest that the SR exercise is being misused through mass filing of Form 7 objections, targeting genuine voters. In Sonitpur district alone, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) told the media that objections were filed against nearly 200 individuals—of which only one case was found to be genuine, as the voter was deceased. The remaining objections were reportedly baseless.

Officials have also pointed to instances where a single individual filed objections against dozens of voters in one stretch. While such actions have raised alarm, they are technically permitted under existing rules—highlighting a deeper structural vulnerability in the process.

A Legal Loophole, Weaponised

What further exposes the fragility of the Special Revision exercise is the fact that there is no legal restriction on the number of Form 7 objections an individual can file before the Election Commission. An individual may submit as many Form 7s as they wish, both during routine electoral revisions and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

While this provision is intended to encourage public participation in voter list verification, officials on the ground admit that the absence of any cap has effectively turned Form 7 into a tool for mass targeting. In Sonitpur, BLOs confirmed that bulk objections—many later found to be baseless—were filed in a single phase. In another instance, a single person filed objections against more than 90 voters—entirely legal under current rules, but deeply troubling in practice.

This unrestricted filing mechanism, coupled with anonymous or absent complainants, has shifted the burden entirely onto accused voters, forcing them to repeatedly prove their citizenship and residence, while those filing objections face little to no scrutiny or accountability.

Opposition Flags ‘Organised Harassment’

Of late, senior All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has accused the BJP government of using the Special Revision process to harass genuine Indian voters. After meeting Assam’s Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Goel, Dev alleged large-scale intimidation, abuse of legal provisions, and anonymous objections disproportionately targeting minority communities.

She claimed that in several Assembly constituencies, nearly 15,000 objections were filed, many without identifiable complainants. In one instance, objections were raised against the Trinamool Congress Nalbari district president, but the complainant failed to appear before the BDO—exposing what Dev described as a deliberate and organised pattern of misuse.

According to her, while accused voters are compelled to appear with documents and face repeated hearings, the frequent absence of complainants exposes the hollowness of the process.

Failure of NRC, Burden on Citizens

The Trinamool Congress has also accused the BJP of using the SR exercise to divert attention from its failure to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC), despite being in power both at the Centre and in Assam. Dev argued that if the government is genuinely committed to identifying foreigners, it should notify and implement the NRC transparently instead of subjecting citizens to arbitrary objections and fear-driven verification.

She reminded voters that false objections are punishable under Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, and urged citizens not to treat the SR process lightly.

AITC Assam senior vice-president Dulu Ahmed echoed these concerns, alleging that in Barkhetri Assembly constituency alone, around 17,000 objections were filed, nearly 10,000 against members of minority communities. He further claimed that even Trinamool Congress Panchayat election candidates—Indian citizens—were targeted through false complaints.

Democracy Under Strain

The Trinamool Congress has demanded a judicial inquiry into the entire Special Revision process and urged the Election Commission to immediately reject anonymous and baseless objections. The party warned that the sanctity of the electoral process must not be compromised for political gains.

At a time when electoral rolls form the backbone of democracy, the Assam Chief Minister’s remarks openly advocating “harassment” of a particular community raise uncomfortable questions. Is the SR process genuinely about voter list correction, or is it being weaponised to instil fear, polarise communities, and compensate for unresolved policy failures?

Also Read: Congress Warns of Statewide Agitation Over ‘SR Manipulation’, Alleges BJP-Election Commission Nexus in Assam