Assam Chief Minister’s “Miya” Remarks Spurs Widespread Controversy.

Adilabad, Telangana; February 2026: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over “Miya” remarks, accusing him of disrespecting the Muslim community in the state.

“The Chief Minister of Assam is of the BJP. Can any Chief Minister say something like this: “If there’s a ‘Miya’ driver in the auto-rickshaw, and the bill is five rupees, then you give him four rupees”? In Assam, “Miya” refers to Muslims who were brought there by the British 150-200 years ago to cultivate the land and work. They are citizens of India. They speak Bengali. How small are you, the Chief Minister of Assam?”, Owaisi said.

Targeting the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi further said that while the government talks about building a developed India, becoming the world’s third-largest economy, and emerging as a global superpower, it hesitates to pay “one rupee” to an autorickshaw driver.

“I want to ask the BJP and the Prime Minister of India: You talk about a developed India. You say that we will become the third-largest economy. You say that we will become a superpower. You have to build a house on the moon but you don’t want to pay one rupee for an auto”, he said.

Owaisi’s comments came in response to Sarma’s statement made on January 29, where the Assam Chief Minister said that people who have come from Bangladesh should be referred to as “Miya”, claiming that the term was self-used by them. “Those who have come from Bangladesh call themselves ‘Miya’. I did not give them that name; it is they who call themselves that”, Sarma said.

During his speech, Owaisi also recalled a recent incident in Uttarakhand involving a man named Deepak Kumar. He alleged that Deepak was targeted after supporting a 70-year old lawyer whose shop displayed the word “Baba”. According to Owaisi, members of the Bajrang Dal demanded the removal of the word, and when Deepak objected, the police later filed a case against him.

Meanwhile, Kotdwar Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chandra Mohan Singh said that the situation in the city is normal and police are conducting foot patrols after a dispute between two groups over a shop’s name in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. The incident occurred on January 26, when a group of people demanded that a shopkeeper change the name of his shop. A dispute arose when he refused to comply with their demand. A gym trainer, Deepak Kumar, reportedly confronted the mob, after which protests broke out on January 31st.

Police have registered FIRs based on video footage and urged the netizens not to sensationalise the incident on social media, ASP Singh said.

Moreover, Asaduddin Owaisi has sharply criticised the BJP government over its performance since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge, accusing the ruling party of replacing truth and trust with suspicion and lies. Owaisi asserted that the country required confidence, honesty, and hope, but instead was left with suspicion, normalised falsehoods, and a climate of fear.

“I take no pleasure in saying this, but ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of this country, instead of giving something to the country, he tells the people, “Give to me”. The people have received nothing. This country needed trust and confidence. The BJP has given this country suspicion. This country needed truth; the BJP has normalised lies. This country needed us to stand tall and become a superpower in the world. What did the poor get? In eleven years, they got poverty and humiliation. Where there should have been hope, fear has taken its place. This is the real record of these eleven years”, said Owaisi.

Addressing the recently introduced University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, noting that the rules explicitly prohibit discrimination against minority, backward class, Dalit, and tribal students.

“The UGC rules stated that there would be no discrimination against any minority student, backward class student, Dalit, or tribal student in the university. A huge uproar was created against this. The Indian Constitution and the Supreme Court judgments talk about real equality”, Owaisi said.

Warning Dalit communities, Owaisi alleged that if the current approach continues, elements of the “Sangh Parivar” could eventually seek to dilute or abolish the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“PM Narendra Modi’s government could not defend its rules in the Supreme Court and a stay order was issued. We are also warning our Dalit brothers, if this attitude continues, one day these Sangh Parivar people will also abolish the SC/ST Atrocities Act. I saw a video of a staunch BJP supporter against Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying absurd things about the minister. I have no sympathy for him, but he is a minister of India. This behaviour is wrong”, he added.

Amid an uproar around the country over the alleged “discrimination” against the General Category in the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, the SC has stayed the regulations. The new regulations, introduced to curb caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, require institutions to establish special committees and helplines to address complaints from students in the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC) categories.

Students, mostly from the general category, protested against regulations that promote discrimination on campuses rather than equality. The students noted that the regulation has no provision to address fraudulent complaints filed against General Category students.

Team Maverick.