‘Will file at least 100 cases’: Himanta Biswa Sarma hits back at Harsh Mander over hate speech complaint

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 31 issued a strong rebuttal to a police complaint filed against him by social activist Harsh Mander, declaring that he would file “at least 100 cases” against Mander in response.

Speaking on the sidelines of a programme at Khumtai in Golaghat district, Sarma accused Mander of being responsible for “destroying” the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam. The Chief Minister said Mander had played a role in derailing the NRC updating exercise, alleging large-scale irregularities during the process.

“Who is Harsh Mander? I have seen many like him,” Sarma said, adding that Mander and others were involved when the NRC was being updated and had “spoiled the entire process.” He claimed that if he had been in authority at the time, he would have taken strict action.

The remarks came after Mander reportedly filed a complaint at the Hauz Khas police station in Delhi, accusing the Assam Chief Minister of making public statements that allegedly promote hatred, harassment and discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam.

Reacting to the complaint, Sarma said, “He has filed one case against me. Just see, I will file at least 100 cases against him now as I have the necessary materials for it.”

The Chief Minister further alleged that during the NRC updating process, fake links were created to allow the insertion of names of ineligible applicants into the list. He reiterated his claim that activist involvement had compromised the integrity of the exercise.

The final NRC, published on August 31, 2019, included 3,11,21,004 names out of 3,30,27,661 applicants, though it is yet to be officially notified.

The exchange marks a further escalation in the political and legal confrontation between the Assam government and civil society activists, with the issue of NRC, hate speech and communal polarisation once again returning to the centre of public debate in the state.