‘We’re new miyas’: Will BJP naming some Assamese Muslims ‘Indigenous’ work? | Elections News

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to woo Assamese Muslims, who are recognized as Indigenous by the party, ahead of the upcoming Assam legislative assembly election. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP has been reaching out to this group, which constitutes a significant portion of Assam's Muslim population, despite concerns about their safety and the impact of recent government policies. The outreach comes amid accusations that the BJP is targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims with eviction, demolition, and erasure from electoral rolls. However, Indigenous Muslim groups are skeptical of the party’s intentions, arguing that the distinction between them and Bengali-speaking Muslims does not offer real protection. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has emphasized that the BJP will "never target" Indigenous Assamese Muslims with such exclusionary policies.