India, Jan. 28 -- Targeting the Bengali-speaking Muslim community of Assam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Tuesday that they should not be allowed to vote in India and should cast their ballots in neighbouring Bangladesh instead.

"As per rules, Miyas (a pejorative term for the community) should not get to vote here, they should cast their ballots in Bangladesh. To ensure that they don't get to vote in Assam we have taken certain measures," Sarma said in Mahmara in Charaideo district, talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event.

"Once special intensive revision (SIR) is undertaken in Assam, we will have to delete 400,000-500,000 of their names (from the voter rolls)," he said.

To be sure, Assam is only conducting a s...