‘Will file at least 100 cases’: Assam CM Himanta on Harsh Mander complaint

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said he would file “at least 100 cases” against writer and social activist Harsh Mander after the latter lodged a police complaint against him over alleged hate speech targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme at Khumtai in Golaghat district, Sarma accused Mander of having “destroyed” the NRC (National Register of Citizens) process in Assam.

“Who is Harsh Mander? I have seen many like him,” the Chief Minister said. “He has filed one case against me. Just see, I will file at least 100 cases against him now as I have the necessary materials for it.”

According to reports, Mander filed a complaint at the Hauz Khas police station in Delhi, alleging that Sarma’s public statements promoted hatred, harassment and discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam.

Responding to the allegation, Sarma said Mander was responsible for derailing the NRC exercise in the state. “If I was there (in authority) then, I would have taught him a lesson,” he said.

The Chief Minister reiterated his earlier claim that Mander and others had visited Assam during the NRC updation process and had adversely affected its outcome.

“During the NRC updating process, they created false kin of people to include names of ineligible applicants, and individuals like social activist Mander were the brains behind it,” Sarma alleged.

The final NRC was released on 31 August 2019, with 3,11,21,004 names included out of 3,30,27,661 applicants. However, the register is yet to be officially notified.

There was no immediate response from Mander to Sarma’s remarks.