INDIA bloc demands action against Assam CM for ‘divisive’ speech in J’khand

Ranchi: The INDIA bloc demanded “immediate and strictest action” against Assam Chief Minister and BJP Jharkhand election in-charge Himanta Biswa Sarma, calling his election speeches “extremely divisive” and “hateful.” A letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Jharkhand’s Chief Electoral Officer, submitted by the Rashtriya Janata Dal, CPI(ML), Congress, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), accused Sarma of targeting Muslims in a speech delivered in Sarath on November 1.

The letter claimed Sarma’s remarks included statements about voting patterns, suggesting “they” vote as a bloc while “we vote half here and half there,” implying a division based on religion. Portions of his speech were reproduced in the letter, which the INDIA bloc leaders said aims to “stoke hatred and resentment” through language like “infiltrators.”

At a press conference on Saturday, leaders highlighted that Sarma’s comments seemed aimed at portraying an entire religious minority in a negative light, potentially aggravating communal tensions in Jharkhand for electoral gain. They also referenced a recent interview in which Sarma allegedly targeted Congress’s minority leaders. The INDIA bloc warned that if no action is taken within 24 hours, they would pursue legal recourse. The letter urged the ECI to act decisively to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.