Assam CM Himanta Sarma Condemns Bangladesh's Territorial Claims on Northeast India as "Baseless and Dangerous"

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma delivered a forceful response on Monday to recurring statements from certain Bangladesh factions suggesting the separation of Northeast India and its incorporation into Bangladesh, describing such notions as "baseless and dangerous."

According to Sarma, various statements and discussions have repeatedly emerged from Bangladesh over the past year hinting at intentions to detach Northeast regions from India. He firmly rejected these assertions, emphasizing that India stands as a sovereign and powerful nation, making such proposals entirely unrealistic.

The Chief Minister criticized recent claims by some Bangladeshi groups advocating for Northeast India to be severed and annexed to Bangladesh. "India represents a growing economy, a nuclear power, and the world's fourth-largest economy. How could Bangladesh possibly contemplate such action?" Sarma questioned.

"This type of mentality should not be encouraged. Bangladesh's citizens must recognize that India will not remain passive regarding such rhetoric," he further stated.

His stern warning referred specifically to a December 15 statement in Bangladesh from Hasnat Abdullah, a prominent figure in Bangladesh's newly established National Citizen Party (NCP), who issued a provocative threat to India, suggesting that if necessary, Bangladesh could consider "isolating" the Northeastern states should New Delhi attempt to "destabilize" Bangladesh.

Previously, Sarma had declared that if Bangladesh targeted the Chicken's Neck or Siliguri corridor, which links mainland India with the Northeast region, India would respond by targeting both of Bangladesh's Chicken's Necks.

Throughout the past year, various Bangladeshi civil society leaders have suggested they could sever Northeast India through the Siliguri corridor in North Bengal, which spans approximately 20-22 kilometers.

"While we have one Chicken's Neck, Bangladesh possesses two. Should Bangladesh attack our Chicken's Neck, we will target both of Bangladesh's Chicken's Necks." Sarma had previously explained that Bangladesh's Chicken's Neck, located in Meghalaya and connecting to Chittagong port, is considerably narrower than India's equivalent and situated only a short distance away.

Sarma emphasized that the recent Operation Sindoor has already demonstrated India's strength and stated that Bangladesh would "need to be reborn 14 times" before considering an attack on India. "Bangladesh is a small nation that cannot and should not be compared with India," he concluded.