Rashtriya Ulama Council flags electoral roll irregularities, slams Assam Government over minority targeting

The Rashtriya Ulama Council has voiced concern over the prevailing political climate in Assam, alleging serious irregularities in the ongoing Special Revision of Electoral Rolls and accusing the ruling party of misusing the process to protect its electoral interests at the cost of democratic fairness and minority rights.

Addressing the issue, the Council claimed that the special revision exercise is not being conducted in a transparent or lawful manner. It alleged that multiple anomalies have surfaced in the recently published draft electoral roll, including the inclusion of unknown individuals in family voter lists who share no familial or residential connection. The Council asserted that such discrepancies raise serious questions about the credibility of the process and indicate deliberate manipulation to safeguard the ruling party’s vote bank.

The Council further stated that allegations levelled by independent MLA Akhil Gogoi on January 5 against Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia, if proven true, would have far-reaching consequences for the state’s political landscape—particularly for minority communities. It accused the ruling dispensation of conspiring to strip genuine Indian citizens of Assam of their rights and security in a bid to retain power, a move the Council strongly condemned.

The Rashtriya Ulama Council also took exception to statements made by the Assam Chief Minister on various occasions, alleging that minority communities have been repeatedly portrayed as outsiders, illegal immigrants or viewed with suspicion. Emphasising constitutional responsibility, the Council said the Chief Minister is the leader of all citizens of Assam, not of any particular party or group, and urged him to treat every lawful resident equally, irrespective of caste, religion, language or colour.

On the issue of eviction drives on government land, the Council clarified that it does not oppose the removal of illegal encroachments and supports the freeing of public land. However, it stressed that families who have lived on such land for four to five decades are long-standing residents of Assam and bona fide Indian citizens. The Council appealed to the state government to ensure proper rehabilitation and resettlement before carrying out evictions, particularly for landless and economically vulnerable families.

Looking ahead to the forthcoming Assam Legislative Assembly elections, the Rashtriya Ulama Council announced its decision to contest in 35 to 40 constituencies. The process of distributing application forms has already begun, with several aspirants having collected nomination forms.

Reiterating its ideological stand, the Council said it would move forward with the slogan “Rule of unity will prevail, Muslims and Hindus will live together,” pledging to strengthen communal harmony, unity and brotherhood for the inclusive development of Assam, beyond divisions of caste, religion, language or ethnicity.