The Congress party launched a protest in parts of southern Assam against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Wednesday for referring to Sylheti-speaking Bengalis as “Bangladeshis”.
Enraged by what they termed a “deeply offensive and divisive” remark, Congress workers assembled at Shambhusagar Park, in the Sribhumi district where they burned an effigy of Malviya to register their outrage.
Protesters denounced the attempt to question the identity of Indian citizens based on linguistic or regional affiliations.
The demonstration quickly escalated after local police intervened in an attempt to disperse the gathering. A minor scuffle broke out between law enforcement personnel and Congress supporters, adding to the tension at the protest site.
Addressing the media, Congress leaders slammed the BJP for allegedly resorting to “communal and identity-based politics”, and called Malviya’s remarks an insult to the Sylheti Bengali community, many of whom have a longstanding history and presence in India. “Calling Indian Sylhetis ‘Bangladeshis’ is not only factually wrong, but also a dangerous political tactic aimed at creating division among communities,” said a local Congress spokesperson.
The party demanded an immediate apology from Amit Malviya and urged the BJP leadership to clarify their stand on the issue.