Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Plans to Repost Controversial Video Targeting ‘Bangladeshis’
In a move that has sparked renewed controversy, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Thursday his intention to repost a contentious video that previously depicted him symbolically firing at two Muslim men, this time branding them as ‘Bangladeshis’. The original video was shared by the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on February 7, featuring a mixture of footage of Sarma with rifles along with AI-generated visuals portraying Muslims as targets.
The clip included provocative slogans like ‘Foreigner free Assam’ and ‘No mercy’, alongside questions like ‘Why did you not go to Pakistan?’ This video, however, was soon taken down after facing significant backlash on social media. Criticism came not just from the public but also from political rivals, with the Congress’s Assam unit and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen filing police complaints against Sarma and the BJP for the video’s content. The situation escalated further as the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India reached out to the Supreme Court regarding the matter.
During an interview with Aaj Tak, Sarma staunchly defended the video, claiming that it accurately portrayed the threat he perceives from illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. When confronted about the legality of ‘shooting’ undocumented migrants, even symbolically, he dismissed concerns, saying it was merely a symbolic act intended to signify his determination to prevent infiltration into Assam. Sarma remarked, ‘So that Bangladeshis don’t infiltrate into Assam, the Assam chief minister will have to shoot at them, symbolically.’
This episode underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration and identity in Assam, a state that has seen a rise in nationalist sentiment in recent years. Critics argue that such rhetoric foments division and hostility towards minority communities and could potentially lead to real-world violence. As the political landscape continues to shift, the implications for Assam’s diverse populace remain uncertain.
