Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that the state was witnessing not just demographic change, but an “economic shift”, with Muslims growing richer.

This, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader claimed, could mean that the “surrender of the Assamese people” had begun.

During a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma claimed that the population growth rate among Hindus was reducing, while that of Muslims was increasing.

“I have data of the growth of the Hindu and Muslim populations between 2001 and 2011,” the chief minister said. “You will see that everywhere, the population growth among Hindus is coming down and the Muslim population is increasing in every block of Assam.”

According to the 2011 Census , Hindus constitute 61.47% of Assam’s population, while Muslims con

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