Guwahati:

All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has demanded 10 per cent reservation for Muslims in Assam.

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam on Tuesday said that his party has demanded 10 per cent reservation for Muslims in the state.

“Muslims in Assam are backward and economically weaker section. We demanded 10 per cent reservation for the Muslims in government jobs and other government schemes in the state,” Aminul Islam said.

The AIUDF MLA also said that the Muslim population has increased in the state, but not the figure given by Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.

“Muslim population was majority in some districts in Assam since independence. But later that districts were divided and formed a few new districts. According to the 2011 Census report there was 34 percent Muslim population in Assam and there might be increased of 2-3 percent. But what figure has given by the Chief Minister is not true,” Aminul Islam said.

On the other hand, talking about the recent Dhing gang rape incident and 23-24 rape incidents in the state in the last two months, the AIUDF MLA said that, nearly 300 rape incidents took place in the state in recent times, but the Assam Chief Minister is only talking about selected 23-24 rape cases in which the accused are Muslims.

“He didn’t mention other rape incidents. He just talked about the selected 23-24 rape cases where the accused are Muslims,” Aminul Islam said.

Hitting out the BJP-led Assam government, the AIUDF MLA alleged that, one accused person of the Dhing gang rape incident was killed and the government has tried to cover up the actual facts.

“If the arrested accused person of the Dhing gang rape incident was alive then might be some new facts could come. May be non-Muslims accused also involved in this crime. But the government didn’t want this. We also want that, the rapist should be hanged. We condemn it,” Aminul Islam said.

Earlier, on August 22, a minor girl was allegedly gang-raped in Assam’s Nagaon district, leading to the arrest of two individuals, according to the police. The incident reportedly occurred while the girl was returning home from tuition in the Dhing area.

Locals found the girl in a semi-conscious state by the roadside and immediately admitted her to a hospital.

Swapnaneel Deka, Superintendent of Police of Nagaon district, told ANI over the phone, “Police have picked up two persons for interrogation in connection with the incident.”

This incident comes amid nationwide outrage over the murder and alleged sexual assault of a female trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 in Kolkata.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)