Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a petition filed by leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a controversial video earlier posted on the Assam BJP’s social media handle, which allegedly depicted the chief minister firing a rifle at people portrayed as Muslims.
The petition also flags a series of alleged hate speeches made by Sarma against the Bengali-speaking Muslim community in Assam.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria took note of submissions made by senior advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the Left leaders. Pasha urged the court to intervene urgently, stating that despite complaints being filed, no FIR had been registered in connection with the video and the alleged hate speeches.
“We seek urgent intervention of this court with respect to disturbing speeches made by the sitting chief minister of Assam, including a recent video where he is shown shooting at members of a particular community,” Pasha submitted.
Responding to the plea, the CJI remarked, “The problem is, as soon as elections come, part of the election is fought in the Supreme Court. That is the problem. We will find out and will give a date.”
The now-deleted video, which was shared on the Assam BJP’s X handle with the caption “point blank shoot”, showed actual footage of Sarma firing shots, interspersed with AI-generated visuals of men wearing skullcaps and beards, purportedly representing Muslims. The video carried provocative text such as “foreigner free Assam”, “No mercy”, “Why did you not go to Pakistan?” and “There is no forgiveness to Bangladeshis”.
The clip sparked widespread outrage from opposition parties, activists and journalists, following which the BJP removed it from its social media platform.
Congress general secretary K C Venugopal termed the video a “call for genocide”, while party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said it exposed the BJP’s “real face”. “An official BJP handle posted a video showing the targeted, ‘point-blank’ murder of minorities. This is nothing but a call to genocide,” Venugopal said in a post on X. Shrinate accused the BJP of spreading “venom, hatred and violence” and questioned the silence of constitutional institutions.
The controversy comes amid sustained criticism of the Assam CM over remarks targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims, including a statement in which he allegedly said it was his job to “make them suffer”.
Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has also approached the Supreme Court, arguing that Sarma’s comments were communal, unconstitutional and amounted to hate speech by a person holding a high constitutional office. Meanwhile, AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday lodged a police complaint against the Assam chief minister, accusing him of reducing constitutional governance to prejudice and intimidation.
The Supreme Court is expected to take up the matter for detailed hearing on a later date.