17/07/2025
Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev has strongly urged Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma to declare Bengali residents of Barak Valley who have lived for three generations as 'indigenous'.
Addressing a press conference in Silchar, Dev challenged the Chief Minister, stating that if he truly respects Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose bust he is set to unveil on August 24, he should grant this status. She accused CM Sarma of engaging in "vote bank" politics, working solely to increase BJP's electoral base, and creating a concerning situation in the state.
Dev further alleged that the Chief Minister is conducting evictions to boost his vote bank and is labeling citizens with names on the voter list as illegal infiltrators, pushing them towards the border.
She claimed that Bengali speakers are being selectively identified as Bangladeshis and "pushed back," even through special flights via Silchar airport. Dev also highlighted the CM's alleged shift in narrative regarding evictions in Dhubri and Goalpara, initially citing land for Adani Group's solar projects but now branding residents as illegal infiltrators.
She expressed concern that the Bihar voter list revision controversy might be replicated in Assam, potentially causing severe citizenship issues for Bengalis.