Chief Minister of Assam Himanta cautions Badruddin Ajmal on “magical healing”: “He’s going to get arrested.”

On Wednesday, Assam’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, issued a warning to Badruddin Ajmal, the leader of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), prohibiting the practice of “magical healing” and threatening to arrest him if discovered breaking the law. The Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, which outlaws non-scientific healing methods in the region, was approved by the Assam assembly last month.The legislation seeks to safeguard human health against “evil and sinister practices thriving on ignorance and ill-health of people” by educating the public about healthy, scientifically based knowledge. With “ulterior motives for exploiting the innocent people and thereby destroying the fibre of public health of the society,” the Bill aims to outlaw non-scientific treatment methods.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, warned Badruddin Ajmal, the head of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), on Wednesday. She forbade the use of “magical healing” and threatened to arrest him if she found him in violation of the law. The Assam assembly passed the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, last month, making non-scientific healing practices illegal in the area.By educating the public about healthy, scientifically based knowledge, the legislation aims to protect human health against “evil and sinister practices thriving on ignorance and ill-health of people”. The Bill seeks to prohibit non-scientific treatment practices, citing “ulterior motives for exploiting the innocent people and thereby destroying the fibre of public health of the society.”