BJP Assam's Official Social Media Post Sparks Major Controversy Over Alleged Hate Content
A video shared on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Assam Pradesh unit has ignited a firestorm of controversy and condemnation from opposition parties and public figures. The content, which reportedly depicted symbolic point-blank shooting targeting minorities, has been described by critics as deeply disturbing and potentially illegal.
Congress Leaders Lead Charge in Condemning the Video
The Indian National Congress party and its prominent members have been vocal in their criticism of the now-deleted post. The official Congress X account stated that the video appears to glorify the targeted murder of minorities and cannot be dismissed as random troll content. They characterized it as "a call to mass violence and genocide" that represents long-held aspirations of what they termed a "fascist regime."
Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal echoed these sentiments, asserting that the video represents "a call to genocide" and should not be ignored as innocuous content. He emphasized that this constitutes poison being spread through official channels rather than mere social media noise.
Legal Implications and Calls for Action
Journalist and commentator Sagarika Ghose raised serious legal concerns about the content, suggesting that the BJP Assam handle has potentially committed offenses under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). She specifically mentioned violations of sections 152, 156, and 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), calling for exemplary punishment despite the post's subsequent deletion.
Congress MP Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain provided additional context, noting that the video featured Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma symbolically shooting at Muslims with captions including "point blank shoot." He argued this intensifies hate campaigns against Bengali-origin Muslims in the region.
Deletion and Continued Spread of Content
Despite the BJP Assam handle eventually removing the controversial video, critics argue the damage had already been done. Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi noted that the content remained online long enough for many users to download and redistribute it, potentially amplifying its reach beyond the original post. She expressed skepticism that election authorities would adequately address what she described as "the vilest form of hate" being propagated through official political channels.
The incident raises significant questions about:
- The responsibility of political parties in monitoring their official social media content
- The effectiveness of content removal after controversial material has already circulated
- Legal accountability for potentially inflammatory political messaging
- The intersection of political campaigning and hate speech regulations
This controversy emerges at a politically sensitive time and has sparked broader discussions about the boundaries of political expression, the regulation of hate content on social media platforms, and the legal frameworks governing inflammatory political communications in India's increasingly digital political landscape.
