Guwahati, July 19: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday claimed that Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, should be made the brand ambassador for population control in the country as a particular community only listens to leaders of the Congress party.
CM Sarma further asserted that Assam will become a Muslim majority state by 2041.
Addressing the press here, CM Sarma claimed, “Anybody can travel to a Muslim-dominated village and ask the people which leader’s advice they would like to listen to and the answer would be Rahul Gandhi. They will not listen to advice given by Himanta Biswa Sarma.”
“That is why I feel that the Congress party must take some extra steps for population control in the country,” he added.
The BJP leader also said that looking at the census figures for the last few decades in Assam, the state has witnessed a huge surge in Muslim population every 10 years.
“If we compare the data of the 2001 and 2011 Census, there was around 30 per cent rise in the Muslim population in Assam. During that period, Hindu population rose just 16 per cent. Therefore, the increase in Muslim population outnumbered the Hindu population by 14-15 per cent,” he said.
He added, “If we compute the same statistical rise in the Muslim population, Assam will become a Muslim majority state in 2041.”
CM Sarma argued that the upsurge in Muslim population has been continuing in the state for the last several decades.
“In Assam, Muslims are 40 per cent of the population as of now. In 1951, they were 12 per cent,” he added.