New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has criticised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his recent remarks directed at Bengali-speaking Muslims, commonly known as Miyas, describing the comments as unconstitutional, divisive and a threat to social harmony. The board has urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the matter and appealed to President Droupadi Murmu to consider appropriate constitutional action.
In a statement issued on Friday, AIMPLB spokesperson Dr SQR Ilyas said the remarks reflected a disturbing shift in public discourse, where hate speech against Muslims is no longer confined to fringe elements but is being articulated by individuals occupying high constitutional positions, as reported by The Observer Post. He said statements made by those sworn to uphold the Constitution undermine its core values and embolden discrimination.
The board’s response followed comments reportedly made by Sarma at a government event in Assam, where he referred to “Bangladeshi Miyas” and claimed that BJP workers had submitted more than five lakh objections during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, targeting people suspected to be foreigners. According to the AIMPLB, such remarks legitimise the targeting of a particular religious and linguistic community through administrative and electoral processes.
Dr Ilyas said the statements amounted to an open encouragement to question the citizenship of Muslims and expose them to social and economic exclusion. He argued that such rhetoric violates constitutional guarantees of equality, non-discrimination and the right to life with dignity under Articles 14, 15 and 21.
The AIMPLB also expressed concern over the role of constitutional institutions, warning that public confidence in free and fair elections would erode if bodies like the Election Commission fail to act independently. The board said a chief minister’s call to use electoral mechanisms against a religious group represents a serious breach of constitutional responsibility.
Pointing to similar remarks made by political leaders in other states in the past, the board said the episode reflects a broader pattern of normalising hate speech against minorities. It described the situation as a critical moment for India’s constitutional framework and called upon secular political parties, civil society organisations and citizens to speak out.
The AIMPLB also appealed to Muslims in Assam to remain calm and avoid provocation. The statement further urged them to respond through lawful and constitutional means.
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Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
