Gauhati HC issues notice to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in PILs alleging hate speech

The Gauhati High Court on February 26 issued notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in connection with a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) accusing him of delivering “hate speech” and making “communal comments” against the ‘Miya’ community.

Notices were also issued to the Assam government and the Director General of Police in connection with three separate petitions on the matter. The cases were heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury.

The High Court fixed March 21 as the next date of hearing. “The respondents have to reply to the notices before the next date. The court has not passed any other order,” advocate Santanu Borthakur, who assisted the counsels for one of the petitioners, told PTI.

One of the petitions was filed on February 24 by noted Assamese litterateur Hiren Gohain, former Assam DGP Harekrishna Deka and senior journalist Paresh Malakar. Separate petitions were also filed earlier on February 21 by the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), seeking to restrain the Chief Minister from making alleged communal remarks.

The petitions follow a controversy over statements and actions attributed to Sarma, including a viral video that purportedly showed him taking aim and firing a rifle in the direction of members of a particular community. The Supreme Court of India had on February 16 declined to entertain petitions seeking action against the Chief Minister in connection with that video.

The term ‘Miya’ is traditionally used as a pejorative reference to Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, who are often perceived by non-Bengali-speaking groups as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, however, sections of the community have begun reclaiming the term as an expression of identity and resistance.

The High Court will take up the matter again after responses are filed by the respondents.