Assam’s lone Muslim BJP MLA gets threat letter telling him to ‘resign in 15 days or die’

Aminul Haque Laskar – Assam’s sole Muslim BJP legislator – has received a letter threatening him with dire consequences unless he resigns from the party in 15 days, police said on Tuesday.

Laskar, an MLA from Sonai in Cachar district, received the handwritten letter on Saturday. Two bullets of a .32 pistol were taped to the missive, written in Bengali with red ink. “The letter was posted from Karimganj on May 22, and I received it on June 9. It accused me of siding with the BJP despite being a Muslim,” the 52-year-old politician said.

The letter was reportedly sent by the Barak Valley unit of the Save Secure and Development Protection Force of Muslims, a hitherto unknown organisation.

“The letter also accused me of not opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-2016 when the joint parliamentary committee came to Barak Valley for hearings in May,” said Laskar, adding that it could have been sent by “illegal business syndicates or land mafia groups” that have been affected by the state government’s policies.

Assam is witnessing protests against a proposed bill that seeks to grant citizenship to religious minorities from neighbouring countries. There are fears that such an action would lead to an influx of Hindu Bangladeshis into the state.

Laskar has registered a complaint against unidentified people at the Silchar police station. The state government has also enhanced the MLA’s security cover in view of the threat.

“The letter warned Laskar of dire consequences unless he resigned from the BJP within 15 days. We have launched an investigation, and hope to arrest those responsible for sending the letter soon,” said Indrajit Chakraborty, in-charge of the Silchar police station.

Laskar had defeated the Congress party’s Anamul Haque by a margin of over 5,500 votes to win the Sonai seat in 2016. He was the only Muslim candidate of the seven propped by the BJP to emerge victorious in the assembly election.