BJP don't need 'Miya' votes for 10 years: Assam CM Himanta Biswa
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said BJP does not need the votes of 'Miya' people of 'char' (riverine sandbar) areas for the next 10 years, till they reform themselves by leaving aside practices such as child marriage.
Sarma, however, said the 'Miya' people support him, PM Narendra Modi and the BJP, and they can continue to shout slogans in favour of the saffron brigade without voting for them.
"BJP will do public welfare and they will support us, but they don't need to vote for us. There is no harm in supporting us. Let them shout 'zindabad' for Himanta Biswa Sarma, Narendra Modi and BJP," he told reporters in response to a question.
The term 'Miya' is a slang used to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims.
The chief minister said, "When elections come, I myself will request them not to vote for us. When you will follow family planning, stop child marriage and shed fundamentalism, then you vote for us."
"To complete these, it will take 10 years. We will seek votes after 10 years, not now."
He said that those voting in favour of him and the BJP should not have more than two or three children, must send their daughters to schools, cannot indulge in child marriage and adopt Sufism by leaving fundamentalism.
"When these conditions are fulfilled, I will go with you to 'char' to seek votes," Sarma told the journalists.
When pointed out that many 'chars', where predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims live, do not have proper schools, he said that immediately schools would be set up if he is informed about the non-existence of a school in such an area.
"It can't happen that minority students won't get a chance to study. We will open seven colleges in minority areas in the coming days," Sarma said.
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Lebanon pager blasts: Police verify Keralite's background; BJP leader demands his protection
Wayanad (Kerala) (PTI): Amid reports linking Rinson Jose, a Kerala native settled in Norway, to the probe into recent pager blasts in Lebanon, the Kerala police on Sunday confirmed a background check on his family, while a BJP leader referred to him as a "son of our nation" and demanded "protection."
"There is no case or investigation. Our special branch officials have carried out a background check. There is nothing new in it; such checks are conducted whenever similar news reports emerge," a police officer told PTI.
Another police official said that a "precautionary patrol" has been launched in the area near Mananthavady where his family resides following the reports. He said that his family has not requested police protection.
Rinson, who went abroad for a job a decade ago, is now a Norwegian citizen.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Sandeep G Varier called for protection for Rinson and his family.
"He is the son of our nation. He is a Malayali. At any cost, we must provide protection to Rinson and his family," Varier, a state committee member of the BJP, said in a Facebook post.
A relative of Rinson has said that he learned about the incident through the media.
His maternal uncle, Thankachan, said, "He grew up here in Wayanad and studied both here and outside Kerala. After completing his MBA, he left India 10 years ago. He had been studying abroad before joining a company. As far as we know, he is currently working for a company in Norway."
Rinson last visited Kerala in November of last year and left in January.
"We are not sure whether he runs his own business in Norway. His wife also works in Norway," Thankachan had told the media.
He said Rinson had called them two or three days before the news reports about him emerged.
"We are 100 per cent certain that he would not commit any wrongdoing," Thankachen had said.
He also appealed to the media not to put the family in a difficult position.
Asked about reports concerning a shell company being investigated by Norwegian authorities in connection with the Pager blasts, Thankachan responded, "Sorry, I have no information about that."
A neighbour of Rinson's family added, "There is nothing bad to say about him or his family. To us, their reputation is spotless.
