Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sharma has publicly apologized for remarks made by an unnamed Assam MP in Parliament during the Waqf Bill debate, where the MP asserted that Muslims in India were not allowed to offer Eid prayers on streets. Sharma described the comments as “shameful” and distanced the Assam government and its people from such statements.
Speaking at a press conference following a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Sarma stated, “The people of Assam also do not want to offer ‘namaz’ on streets when there are beautiful and good mosques in the state.” While not directly naming Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who had criticized the government for allegedly preventing Muslims from offering Eid prayers on streets, Sarma’s comments were widely interpreted as a response to Gogoi’s claims.
“People from across the country are calling me about it. We are ashamed and I as the CM apologize to people across the country,” Sarma emphasized. He further asserted that there has been no demand from the Muslim community in Assam to offer prayers on roads.
Sarma also criticized the MP’s remarks for allegedly creating a skewed narrative of India’s freedom struggle, stating, “This MP went to the extreme of highlighting only one community’s role. There was no mention of Mahatma Gandhi, Gopinath Bordoloi, Subhas Chandra Bose, or other key figures.”
Regarding the upcoming panchayat polls in Assam, scheduled for May 2 and 7, Sarma expressed confidence in the BJP’s prospects, attributing it to the “immense faith and confidence” of the people of Assam in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “It will be good in all the elections- panchayat, Rabha Hasong Council, Bodoland Territorial Council and assembly polls,” he said.
He reiterated that the “extreme statements made by a particular MP from Assam in Parliament” were the sole source of disappointment and shame for the state.
