The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), a collective of former senior civil servants and diplomats, on Thursday issued a strong statement condemning Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent speech, calling it a “brazen and shameful violation” of the Indian Constitution and warning that it could incite communal violence in the state.
In its open statement dated February 6, the CCG said it was “shocked” by what it described as the “nastiness” of the Chief Minister’s remarks, particularly at a time when several states are facing elections. The group, which said it is politically neutral and committed to constitutional values, accused Sarma of trampling upon the fundamental rights of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and violating Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
The statement alleged that the Chief Minister had repeatedly labelled all Bengali Muslims in Assam as “Miyas” and claimed that they were Bangladeshis with no right to reside in Assam or India. According to the CCG, Sarma’s remarks amounted to promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings and deliberately creating public mischief, in violation of provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It further alleged that he exhorted the public to harass Bengali Muslims to such an extent that they would be forced to leave Assam and even the country, while assuring them of police protection.
Warning of serious repercussions, the group said that while people in Assam are aware that not all Bengali Muslims are illegal migrants, repeated allegations by the Chief Minister that they are intruders who have stolen jobs could plant “seeds of doubt” leading to riots and killings in an already charged atmosphere. The CCG also expressed concern over Sarma’s reported response to the backlash against his speech, noting that he had threatened to initiate “hundreds of cases” against citizens who had filed complaints against him, allegedly using the state machinery.
The group criticised the silence of the Union government, saying it had neither taken note of the potential threat to public peace nor acted to dissuade the Assam Chief Minister from making provocative utterances. Recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s emphasis on “raj dharma,” the CCG said such standards appeared to have been abandoned.
In its appeal, the Constitutional Conduct Group urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the Chief Minister’s hate speeches, arguing that they violated and were in contempt of the court’s own past orders. It also called upon the President of India to intervene and advise both the Prime Minister and the Assam Chief Minister to adhere to their constitutional oaths and the dignity of their offices.
The statement was endorsed by 91 signatories, including former IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS officers, ex-chief secretaries, former ambassadors, retired police chiefs and former heads of constitutional and regulatory bodies, who signed off the appeal with the phrase “Satyameva Jayate.”
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