The Assam Police on Saturday arrested a Bengali-origin Muslim singer for allegedly inciting hatred against the state’s ethnic communities through a song that he released last month.

The song asks: “Does Assam belong to your father that you want to chase them out?” Singing in Assamese, 31-year-old Altaf Hussain points out that although people of all communities commit crimes, only “Miyas” are targeted, referring to Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam who are often falsely accused of being undocumented immigrants.

Through the song, Hussain sought to highlight the targeting of Bengali-origin Muslims in the context of a campaign by nativist groups to drive them out of Upper Assam. The lyrics of his song are similar to a Bangladeshi protest song called “Desh ta tomar baaper naki”, which translates to “'Does the country belong to your father?”

A complaint against Hussain was filed in western Assam’s Dhubri district, the Deccan Herald reported. A case was filed on Saturday under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to promoting enmity between religious groups and hurting religious sentiments, after which the singer was arrested.

The complainant accused Hussain of distorting a traditional Bihu song and inciting hostility against indigenous communities in Assam.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a social media post that the people of Assam would not tolerate attempts to alter Bihu songs.

“Some people are trying to popularise 'Miya Bihu'. One such singer, Altaf Hussain, has been arrested by the police today,” Sarma said, according to PTI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader added: “We will not tolerate any attack on our social system. And there should not be such attempts to attack us either.”

Sarma had said on August 27 that he would not allow Miya Muslims to “take over the state” and asked why members of the community needed to move to Upper Assam. The administrative division of Upper Assam, comprising nine districts, is the heartland of Assamese politics and is home to several ethnic communities.

The chief minister’s remarks came after fundamentalist organisations allegedly threatened Bengali-origin Muslims in Upper Assam to leave the administrative division. The threats were issued following the alleged gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in the Dhing area of Assam’s Nagaon district on August 22.

The police have accused three Bengali-origin Muslims of being involved in the gang-rape.

Also read: Why Bengali Muslim workers are being driven out of Upper Assam