AIUDF MLA slams minister Ashok Singhal’s remarks on Goalpara, calls him 'outsider', 'non-Assamese'

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam has strongly condemned Assam Minister Ashok Singhal’s recent remarks made during a public gathering in Goalpara.

Speaking on the issue, Islam stated that Singhal’s reference to Goalpara as a place characterized by “caps, beards, and pyjamas” has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Muslim community as well as the local residents. He further criticized the minister’s comment regarding the way people in Goalpara wear their attire, stating that religious practices should not be a matter of concern for anyone outside the community.

Islam urged Singhal to focus on more pressing issues such as tackling unemployment, reviving defunct industries, and ensuring the cleanliness of Guwahati, rather than making statements that could potentially create religious divisions. He accused the minister of attempting to disrupt communal harmony in Assam by making such remarks in the public domain.

Reaffirming Assam’s legacy of unity and coexistence, Islam emphasized that the state has always been a land of Shankar-Azan (symbolizing Hindu-Muslim harmony). He stated that any attempts to create rifts between communities would not succeed. Additionally, he criticized Singhal’s non-Assamese origins, claiming that as someone from Rajasthan or Haryana, the minister should not interfere with the communal peace in the region.