Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Sunday that his government will soon introduce a law imposing life imprisonment in cases of ‘love jihad.’ The term ‘love jihad‘ is often used by right-wing groups to describe alleged efforts by Muslim men to convert Hindu women through marriage. This announcement came during the state BJP’s extended executive meeting in Guwahati.

Chief Minister Sarma emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting the rights of indigenous people. He revealed plans for a new domicile policy that would ensure only those born in Assam are eligible for state government jobs. This policy aims to prioritize indigenous candidates for employment, fulfilling a key pre-poll promise. Sarma stated that the government has provided one lakh government jobs, and the full list, once published, will reflect the priority given to indigenous people.

In his address, Sarma criticized the previous Congress administration, alleging that up to 30% of constable jobs in the state police force were secured by people from a particular community when the current Dhubri MP, Rakibul Hussain, was in charge of the Home Department. He further claimed that while his government has reclaimed land equivalent to the size of Chandigarh from illegal settlers, land equal to “20 times the size of the northern Union Territory” remains under encroachment in Assam.

To safeguard land rights, Sarma mentioned a proposed law to prevent the sale of land to people from a particular community in the undivided Goalpara district, which is significant for the Koch-Rajbongshi community. The proposed legislation aims to protect tribal land and prevent its transfer in undivided Goalpara. Additionally, similar laws will be enacted for Barpeta, Majuli, and Batadrawa, areas important to the followers of Vaishnavism, to ensure land transfers only occur among residents of these areas.

Sarma stressed that the government is determined to protect Assam’s future, even though it cannot deport anyone to Bangladesh. He asserted that they would use all available power to secure the state’s future. The Chief Minister also announced a decision requiring his consent for any land sale between Hindus and Muslims to prevent potential communal conflicts.

The Assam government previously issued a notification on March 7 to halt land sales between different communities for three months to avoid possible communal conflicts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Sarma stated that another law would be enacted to create “micro tribal belts and blocks” to protect villages or small, scattered settlements of tribals outside the notified belts and blocks.

Addressing the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Sarma described the agitation as deceitful, claiming that fewer than eight people have applied under the act in Assam so far. He announced that the government would take a bold step to clear the biometrics of nine lakh people collected and “frozen” during the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update.

Sarma attributed the BJP’s success in securing a third   consecutive term at the Centre to its focus on the masses, contrasting it with the Congress’s attempts to downplay the BJP’s winning streak. He took a dig at the Congress, saying, “Congress has been trying to project as if their 99 seats are bigger than our 240 seats. Perhaps, it is so as per mathematics followed in Bangladesh or Pakistan, but it is not so in India.”

Confident about the BJP’s return to power in Assam in 2026, Sarma attributed it to the party’s welfare measures for the people. He expressed gratitude to state party chief Bhabesh Kalita for forming a committee to review and fulfill remaining poll promises within the next year. Sarma also declared that the BJP would contest the Bodoland Territorial Council, panchayat, and zilla parishad elections independently while urging party workers to collaborate with allies AGP and UPPL for the bypolls to five assembly seats.

In conclusion, Sarma highlighted the importance of delimitation of panchayats to safeguard the rights of indigenous people. The Assam government’s proposed policies, including the stringent law against ‘love jihad,’ new domicile policy, and land protection measures, reflect its commitment to protecting the interests of the state’s indigenous population and maintaining communal harmony.