Assam Will Become Muslim-majority State By 2041: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed the state will become a Muslim-majority by 2041. Biswa said the Muslim population was growing around 30 per cent every 10 years.

Sarma said Muslims have now become 40 per cent of Assam's population as per "statistical sampling".

"The increase in the population of Muslims in Assam is a statistical fact. The rate of population increase of Muslims is much more than of Hindus and at this rate, they will be a majority by 2041," he was quoted as saying by India Today.

Sarma also said the population of Hindus is rising by around 16 per cent every 10 years when compared to the growth of Muslims for the same period.

"Hindu population has increased by 16 per cent. Muslims constituted 1.40 crore of Assam's population in 2011. There is an increase of 30 per cent of the Muslim population every 10 years. In every decade, the Muslim population is outstripping the Hindu population by 16 per cent. In every decade, there is an addition of 22 lakh Muslim population," he said, as per the report.

Earlier, Sarma ahd said the changing demography in Assam was a huge concern and said the issue for him was not political, but "a matter of life and death".

"Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has reached 40 per cent today. In 1951, it was 12 per cent," Sarma had said.

He added, "We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me."

Sarma's remark drew a sharp reaction from Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, who accused him of "suffering from amnesia".