Congress Demands Judicial Action Against BJP Over Controversial Assam CM Video
The Indian National Congress launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday, accusing the ruling party of actively promoting hatred and targeting minority communities. The allegations stem from a now-deleted video that was posted on the official X handle of the BJP's Assam unit, which purportedly showed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma aiming and firing a rifle at two individuals identified as members of minority groups.
Video Content Sparks Outrage and Genocide Allegations
The controversial video, captioned "point-blank shot," depicted Sarma allegedly firing at two people—one wearing a skull cap and another with a beard—in what the Congress described as a direct incitement to violence. Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal characterized the clip as representing a dangerous escalation of hate rhetoric that transcends mere online trolling.
"An official BJP handle posted a video showing the targeted, 'point-blank' murder of minorities. This is nothing but a call to genocide—a dream this fascist regime has harbored for decades," Venugopal stated in a social media post. He emphasized that the matter requires immediate judicial intervention, noting that "this is not an innocuous video to be ignored as troll content, but as poison spread from the very top."
Venugopal further expressed skepticism about Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking action, asserting that "there is no hope that Narendra Modi will condemn or act against this, but the judiciary must act, and there shouldn't be any leniency shown in this case."
Congress Spokespersons Condemn BJP's Actions
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate argued that simply deleting the video does not absolve the BJP of responsibility. "This is who the BJP really is: Mass murderers. This venom, hatred and violence is on you, Mr. Modi. Are the courts and other institutions sleeping?" she questioned in her social media statement.
Another Congress spokesperson, Shama Mohammed, accused the BJP of undermining constitutional values through such actions. "You talk about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,' but your favorite man, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a video shooting Muslims and got it posted from the official handle of BJP Assam," she directed at Prime Minister Modi.
Mohammed went further to criticize judicial inaction, stating "This is an attack on the Indian Constitution. I am shocked that the Supreme Court of India is acting as a mute spectator. The court's silence and failure to take suo motu cognizance puts its role into question."
Opposition Leaders Join Criticism of BJP and Election Commission
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also condemned the BJP's actions and criticized the Election Commission for what she perceived as inaction. "The BJP Assam Pradesh X handle posted one of the most hate-driven, targeted videos titled 'Point Blank Shot'; after outrage, it went on to delete the post, but it was there long enough for many people to download and spread it further," Chaturvedi noted.
She added a sharp rebuke of the Election Commission: "Shamelessly, EC will ignore this vilest form of hate and political targeting. Toothless and useless, literally, in front of BJP."
The BJP has not issued any official response to the Congress's allegations as of the latest reports. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between political parties regarding hate speech and minority targeting in India's political discourse.
