"I didn’t coin the term Miya": Himanta Biswa Sarma defends remark amid Opposition fire

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, January 29 pushed back against Opposition criticism over his recent remarks referring to “Miya Muslims,” asserting that the term was not coined by him but is self-applied by the people of Bangladesh.

Responding to the controversy, the Chief Minister said the Opposition was deliberately misrepresenting his statement for political gain. “Those who have come from Bangladesh call themselves ‘Miya’. I did not give them that name; it is they who call themselves that,” Sarma stated, reiterating that his remarks were rooted in what he described as social usage rather than political labelling.

Sarma maintained that the issue was being unnecessarily politicised and stressed that his focus remained on safeguarding Assam’s demographic balance and addressing concerns related to illegal migration. He accused Opposition parties of attempting to divert attention from substantive issues by framing his comments as communal.

The Chief Minister’s clarification comes amid sharp reactions from Opposition leaders, who have alleged that the statement was divisive and targeted at a particular community. The ruling BJP, however, defended Sarma, arguing that his remarks were factual and had been taken out of context.