Assam election will be a conflict of civilisation: BJP

BJP's campaign in 2016 had also focussed on the Assamese identity being under threat from foreigners

The Congress-AIUDF alliance in Assam was taking the ensuing Assembly elections towards a "conflict of civilisation," BJP's poinstman and senior minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday while revealing that the saffron party's camapign this time would therefore focus on three major points: sabbhata (civilisation), suraksha (security) and vikash (development).

"By having an alliance with Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF chief), Congress has polarised this election completely. If Congress had contested seperately, this election would have been fought on the issue of development. The people of Assam will not vote for Ajmal. Because our civilisation, the composite Assamese civilisation is under threat," Sarma told reporters in Guwahati after a release of a book on home minister, Amit Shah.

Sarma translated the book, 'Amit Shah and March of BJP' into Assamese, which was written by Anirban Ganguly and Shiwanand Dwivedi.

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When asked what would be BJP's strategy, Sarma said, "So obviously we will have to talk about security threat from across the border and within. We talk about civilisation as it is under threat." BJP is trying to project the Miyas, the Bengali-speaking Muslims as a threat to the Assamese identity and Ajmal as their protector.

BJP's campaign in 2016 had focussed almost on similar line claiming that Assamese identity was under threat from foreigners and alleged that the Congress government was protecting them for votes. Protection to Jati (community), maati (land) and bheti (hearth) was the slogan of BJP's promise, which according to poll observers, had clicked and helped the saffron party form its first government in alliance with AGP and BPF.

When pointed out that BJP had declared the 2016 to be the last battle of Saraighat, Sarma said, "Yes we sounded a war cry in 2016 and won the last battle of Saraight. This time we are trying to tell the people that we must consolidate and make sure that our identity remains protected," he said.

The Battle of Saraighat was fought in 1671 between the Mughals and the Ahoms on the Brahmaputra river near Guwahati.

On the CAA, Sarma said, "Nobody is talking about the CAA now. That has lost traction after our fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. People now are talking about something else. The focus has shifted from CAA to Ajmal."

Sarma's comments came on a day several candidates, both ruling and the opposition filed their nominations for the first phase of polling to be conducted on March 27.