ATASU Stages Protest, Burns Effigy of Cleric Madani in Jorhat

In a sharp escalation of protests in Assam, the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU) on Monday burnt the effigy of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) president Maulana Mahmood Madani in Mariani, Jorhat district. The demonstration came in response to Madani’s reported derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, which have triggered outrage across the state.

The effigy-burning took place at the busy Tiniali area under Mariani Police Station, where ATASU activists gathered in large numbers. Raising slogans against Madani, they accused him of spreading divisive rhetoric and unfairly targeting the Chief Minister.

Addressing the gathering, ATASU central committee leader Shashank Dihingia said the people of Assam would not tolerate the rise of communal or fundamentalist forces under any circumstances.
“We want to make it clear that Assam has no space for fundamentalism. Anyone trying to spread communal poison in the state will face strong resistance from the people,” Dihingia asserted, warning that ATASU would continue its agitation if such remarks persisted.

Background to the Row

The controversy comes just days after the JUH Working Committee, chaired by Madani, passed a strongly worded resolution calling for the immediate removal of the Assam Chief Minister. At a meeting held on August 21 via Zoom with members and invitees from across India, the JUH accused the state government of carrying out eviction drives that had displaced over 50,000 families, most of them Muslims.

The resolution urged constitutional authorities—including the President of India and the Chief Justice of India—to initiate criminal proceedings against Sarma for alleged hate speech. It specifically cited his statement, “We are only evicting Miya Muslims,” calling it blatant proof of communal bias.

ALSO READ: "Assam BJP Acting on Script Written by Ajmal, Madani": Lurinjyoti