Guwahati: Following Senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal's controversial claim that Assam was originally part of Myanmar, Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has called for an apology, stating that Sibal's remarks have distorted history. Saikia, the leader of the opposition in Assam, penned a letter to Kapil Sibal demanding clarification and expressing disappointment over the inaccurate representation of Assam's history.

Assam Congress Legislative Party Leader Debabrata Saikia has written a letter to Kapil Sibal to apologize publicly to people of Assam. Sibal, who was a Union Minister several times during Congress govt, had himself said in Supreme Court that Assam was under Myanmar in the past. pic.twitter.com/L3ypEAEnE7

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In the letter, Saikia conveyed that Sibal's incorrect depiction of Assam's history is unfortunate and has adversely affected the pride and prestige of Assam. He suggested that misinformation from organizations like Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and AAMSU may have contributed to Sibal's misunderstanding, urging Sibal to cross-check the data before making such statements. Saikia, an MLA from Nazira constituency and the son of former Assam Chief Minister late Hiteshwar Sarikia, refuted the claim that Assam was part of Myanmar. He explained, "The history of Assam is the history of a confluence of the Austroasiatic, Tibeto-Burman (Sino-Tibetan), Tai and Indo-Aryan cultures," highlighting the significance of the Ahom kingdom's rule and the colonial era.

The Congress leader emphasized, "Therefore, Assam was never a part of Myanmar, and this comment from a senior statesman like you has hurt the pride and emotion of indigenous people of Assam." Saikia called on Kapil Sibal to withdraw the comments made in the Supreme Court and issue a public apology to the people of Assam. Kapil Sibal made the controversial remarks on September 7th in the Supreme Court while opposing petitions challenging Section 6A of the Citizenship Act. Sibal asserted that the history of Assam is complicated and claimed that Assam was originally part of Myanmar, handed over to the British after a treaty in 1824.

Saikia's letter concludes by requesting Sibal to withdraw the statement and offer a public apology for the misrepresentation of Assam's history. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously criticized Sibal, stating that those who do not know history should refrain from making such statements.

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