Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma may underestimate Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani.
Yet, it is wishful thinking on his part if he maintains his stance of undermining the cleric.
A mere warning to “lock him up” may not suffice.
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An undeterred Madani is mincing no words against the state’s eviction drive beyond the borders of the state, in New Delhi too.
And guess what – Madani’s salvos are drawing nationwide attention, stirring a debate on governance, identity, and constitutional values.
While firmly supporting the principle that no foreigner or Bangladeshi citizen should remain in India, Madani accused the BJP-led Assam government of projecting every Muslim as “Bangladeshi.”
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According to him, the eviction operations are being carried out in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines.
Madani also alleged that the real intent behind the drive was to deflect public scrutiny from unemployment and corruption ahead of elections.
“In the northeastern state of Assam, ruled by Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Apex Court’s guidelines are being deliberately rebuffed, and forced eviction is rampant with the state polls scheduled next year,” Madani stated.
“The drive is being turned into a communal rift between Hindus and Muslims. Deportation of Bangladeshis has a legal process, but that is not being adhered to,” Madani added.
The cleric elaborated that “such governance weakens democratic discourse.”
“Communities and countries are built on valid systems, and when those systems, based on democracy and the Indian Constitution, are violated, it is painful. A deep thinking is the urgent need of the hour,” Madani said after visiting eviction-hit areas in Assam.
“Saddening,” is how he described the scenario.
Madani sought restraint in political language, noting that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi “does not pay attention” to such rhetoric.
“We all should exercise restraint,” he stressed, underlining that politics should not be reduced to name-calling or polarisation.
As a riposte, CM Sarma unequivocally dismissed Madani’s criticism.
“Who is Madani? Is Madani God? His bravery existed only during the Congress rule. If he crosses his limit, I will send him to jail. I am the CM, not Madani,” Sarma retorted.
The public spat highlights Assam’s long-standing tension over illegal immigration, identity politics, and the state’s socio-political fabric.
With elections on the horizon, the eviction issue, already a sensitive subject in Assam, is fast transforming into a national debate.
The controversy places both Madani and Sarma at the centre of India’s most contentious political battleground.
However, for the so-called “illegal infiltrators” are suffering.
And so are the indigenous lot in Assam.
The war of words is having a cascading effect on their future.