Congress MLA Rakibuddin Ahmed on Tuesday sharply criticised the BJP, accusing the ruling party of divisive politics that targets the Miya-Muslim community and raising concerns over alleged irregularities in voter lists at the Boko-Chaygaon Co-District Commissioner’s office.
Speaking to reporters at Goraimari in Assam’s Chamaria constituency, Ahmed said, “Assam has a long tradition of peaceful coexistence among different communities. Any attempt to single out a particular group threatens our social harmony.” He specifically objected to claims linking language with nationality, calling it “completely unfounded” to equate Bengali speakers with Bangladeshi identity. “Bengali is spoken across Tripura, West Bengal, and parts of Assam like Hojai. Language cannot be used to brand anyone an outsider,” he added.
Ahmed accused the BJP of deliberately creating divisions along caste, religion, and community lines for electoral gain. “Politics based on exclusion and suspicion harms democracy and weakens social cohesion,” he said.
He also referred to a recent incident at the Boko–Chaygaon Co-District Commissioner’s office on the night of January 22, alleging that BJP leaders were involved in adding and deleting names from voter lists. “This is a serious violation of democratic norms,” Ahmed said, linking the episode to earlier claims by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi about voter manipulation.
“The incident reflects a worrying pattern that could undermine public confidence in elections,” he added. Ahmed said the Congress has approached the Election Commission of India, demanding a full and impartial inquiry, and vowed that the party “will not remain silent against any attempt to influence elections through unfair or illegal means.”
