AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The release of a provocative video on the official social media account of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India’s northeastern state of Assam has sparked widespread condemnation. The video symbolically depicts Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma firing at Muslims at point-blank range.
Posted on Saturday, the clip combines real footage of the chief minister using a firearm with artificial intelligence–generated images portraying him shooting individuals identified as Bengali-origin Muslims. The video includes inflammatory captions, among them “shoot at point-blank range.”
Text superimposed on the images features slogans such as “Assam free of foreigners,” “no mercy,” “why didn’t you go to Pakistan?” and “no forgiveness for Bangladeshis.” Critics say these phrases directly target Assam’s Bengali-speaking Muslim community, a group frequently subjected to derogatory labels such as “Miya” or “Bangladeshi.”
The video has drawn strong political and media reactions. Sagarika Ghose, a member of parliament from the Trinamool Congress, described it as “shameful” and called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for its dissemination. Journalist Rana Ayyub said the timing of the video, coinciding with diplomatic engagements by India’s prime minister, reflected “decay at the highest levels.” Another journalist, M. Riyaz, also condemned the publication of content portraying the killing of “Miyas.”
Critics, including human rights activists and opposition leaders, argue that such rhetoric further marginalizes Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam, who are already socially and economically vulnerable. They stress that, despite stereotypes branding them as “outsiders” or “illegal migrants,” members of this community are Indian citizens.
Human rights activist Harsh Mander has filed a formal complaint accusing the Assam chief minister of promoting hatred and undermining constitutional values and minority rights. Separately, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has approached the Supreme Court, describing the recent statements and actions as sectarian, unconstitutional, and constituting hate speech by a senior public official.
Asaduddin Owaisi, leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, also criticized the chief minister’s conduct, emphasizing that Assamese Muslims of Bengali origin, whose roots date back to the British colonial period, are Indian citizens who speak Bengali.
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