Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday hit out at the grand old party and asserted that the BJP government is working more for the welfare of the Muslims than any Congress government had done previously. He levelled up charges against Congress and said that it viewed the Muslims only as a vote bank but the saffron party is working to free them, especially the women, from exploitation.
Sarma was speaking at the concluding day of a two-day national executive meet of BJP’s Mahila Morcha. “Some people say that we are anti-Muslim. But I think that by stopping polygamy, (triple) talaq, child marriage - we are working more for the Muslims than any Congress government ever did," he said.
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Law to prohibit polygamy by December
He further asserted that his government would bring a law to prohibit polygamy by December. Another round of intensified crackdown on child marriage will be launched within a few days, Sarma added.
According to Sarma, earlier, more than 5,00 offenders were arrested in the first round of operation against child marriage in February this year and it was kept on hold till the completion of the G20 summit, he added.
Sarma hit out at Rahul, Sonia Gandhi
Sarma maintained that many Islamic countries have ended "bad practices" but when "our country takes any such step, (Congress leaders) Rahul and Sonia Gandhi call it a step against the minority".
Sarma on Udhayanidhi Stalin's remark
Referring to Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s recent comments on Sanatan Dharma, Sarma maintained that Hinduism does not endorse casteism and the last symbols of casteism are also being done away with. He questioned Stalin for not calling for wiping out "another religion" that discriminates against women, allowing the men to marry multiple times.
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“I told him: don’t speak about wiping off Hinduism, Islam, Christianity… but end casteism in Hinduism and polygamy, (triple) talaq in Islam,” Sarma added.
The BJP leader said the Narendra Modi-led government is focused on ‘women-led development’ and women are given top leadership positions across the government on the basis of their efficiency. “We believe that the ‘nari shakti’ (women’s power) is with the BJP…I exhort our Mahila Morcha workers to further ensure that the women reap benefits of all schemes meant for them,” Sarma added.
