GUWAHATI: The Assam government will bring in laws to discourage ‘love jihad’ and also to curb sale of land to a particular community. Speaking at a BJP meeting on Sunday, August 4, the chief minister announced plans to enact a stringent law against what he termed as ‘love jihad’, a controversial term used to describe alleged cases of Muslim men targeting non-Muslim women for marriage with the intention of converting them to Islam.
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"We will soon bring a law by which there will be life imprisonment for those involved in ‘love jihad’. We are committed to protecting the rights of the Assamese people, one step at a time," the chief minister said.
The chief minister went on to express concerns over land ownership in the state, particularly in areas like Goalpara. He suggested that a specific community has acquired more land than the entire city of Chandigarh, which he implied was a cause for concern.
"There will be a law that will prevent a particular community from buying land," Sarma declared, indicating future legislative actions aimed at addressing this issue.
He said that his consent would be made mandatory for any sale of land between Hindus and Muslims.
He said the government has decided that for the land of a Hindu to be bought by a Muslim and vice-versa, the permission for sale will be given only after the chief minister agrees.
Sarma also announced plans to introduce a new domicile policy that will restrict government jobs to only those born within the state.
The move, aimed at securing the rights of native Assamese, is part of a broader strategy to address concerns over demographic changes and protect local interests. The proposed domicile policy is expected to reserve government employment opportunities exclusively for individuals born in Assam, a move likely to be met with both support and opposition. Sarma emphasised the importance of this policy in safeguarding the cultural and demographic fabric of Assam.
In his address, Sarma also criticised the opposition Congress party, stating, "The more Congress tries to shake us, the more we will progress steadily." He hinted at past policies that he claimed disproportionately favoured certain communities, saying, "At one time, 30% reservation was given to a particular community in constable jobs."