APCC files police complaint over Assam BJP social media post; row reaches Supreme Court

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), on February 10, lodged a police complaint at Dispur Police Station against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that a social media post shared by the party was “highly provocative” and communal in nature.

In the complaint, APCC leaders Sibamoni Bora and Diganta Bauman said that on February 7, the official X handle of BJP Assam shared content allegedly showing Sarma symbolically firing at members of the Muslim community at point-blank range. The post, according to the complainants, carried overlaid text such as “foreigner free Assam”, “No mercy”, “Why did you not go to Pakistan?” and “There is no forgiveness to Bangladeshis”.

The APCC alleged that the language and imagery appeared to target Muslims of Bengali origin, “often derogatorily labelled as ‘Miyas’ or ‘Bangladeshis’”, and warned that the content was capable of disrupting communal harmony in the state. The party urged the police to register a case under the relevant penal provisions and take necessary action.

The controversy has also reached the judiciary. Earlier on Tuesday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) moved the Supreme Court of India seeking directions against what it described as discriminatory remarks by the Assam Chief Minister. The matter was mentioned for urgent hearing before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant by advocate Nizam Pasha.

“We seek urgent intervention of this Court with respect to disturbing speeches made by the sitting CM of Assam, including a recent video posted where he is shown as shooting at members of a particular community,” Pasha told the court. Responding, the Chief Justice observed that electoral politics often finds its way into courtrooms during election periods. “The problem is, when elections come, part of it is fought in the Supreme Court. We will see,” he said.

Meanwhile, the issue has triggered police complaints outside Assam as well. Asaduddin Owaisi, chief of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, on Monday approached the Hyderabad City Police seeking criminal action against Sarma over a “now-deleted video” that he described as “genocidal hate speech”.

In a post on X, Owaisi said the video showed Sarma symbolically shooting at people “very obviously depicted as Muslims”. “I have lodged an official complaint… demanding criminal action against Himanta Sarma for his (now deleted) violent video showing him shooting Muslims. Unfortunately, genocidal hate speech has become a norm,” he wrote. The complaint stated that phrases such as “Point blank shot” and “No Mercy” were intended to outrage religious feelings, promote communal hatred and incite violence.

According to Owaisi, the video was uploaded on February 7 from the official BJP Assam account and taken down a day later, though it continues to circulate on social media. He argued that law enforcement agencies are constitutionally bound to act suo motu in cases of hate speech, even without a formal complaint.

Reacting to Owaisi’s complaint, Sarma on Monday said he had “no objection” to being arrested. “I am ready to go to jail. If he has filed a case against me, arrest me; what objection do I have?” he said. The Chief Minister, however, added that he stood by his position against “Bangladeshi infiltrators”, saying, “I stand by my words… and I will continue to be against them.”