NEW DELHI: India’s Assam state will issue gun licences to “indigenous” residents near the Bangladesh border, its Hindu nationalist leader announced.
The move has raised concerns among Assam’s Muslim population, who make up roughly 35 percent of the state’s 31 million people.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed Assamese-speaking communities face threats from Bangladesh and within their own villages.
A new website will allow indigenous residents in “sensitive areas” to apply for arms licences, Sarma said on Wednesday.
India maintains strict gun control laws, making the decision highly controversial.
Opposition leaders condemned the move, warning it could fuel gang violence and personal vendettas.
“This is not governance, this is a dangerous step backwards towards lawlessness,“ said Congress lawmaker Gaurav Gogoi on social media.
Sarma belongs to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The policy aligns with the BJP’s broader campaign supporting Assamese-speaking communities.
Large-scale evictions targeting “illegal foreigners or doubtful citizens” have been a key part of this agenda.
Critics argue the measures disproportionately affect Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom are Indian citizens.
Assam was the first state to implement a contentious citizenship verification exercise in 2019, excluding nearly two million people.
Tensions have risen since Bangladesh’s autocratic government, a BJP ally, was overthrown last year.
Sarma warned that “indigenous people” in border districts feel insecure due to recent developments in Bangladesh. – AFP