Guwahati, July 10 -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday firmly denounced a controversial remark by a student leader from the All BTC Minority Students' Union (ABMSU), cautioning that replacing Assamese with Bengali in electoral records would only serve to identify the number of "foreigners" in the state.

"Language cannot become a tool for blackmail," Sarma declared. "Assamese will remain the permanent language of Assam, both as the state and official language. If Bengali is used instead in electoral rolls, it will simply reflect how many outsiders reside here."

The Chief Minister's strong response came after ABMSU activist Mainuddin Ali, during a protest in Bedlangmari (Kokrajhar) on July 9, suggested that Bengali-spea...