A political storm erupted on Saturday after the Assam BJP’s official X handle briefly shared a controversial video showing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appearing to shoot Muslim men labelled as “intruders,” prompting sharp reactions from Congress leaders who accused the BJP of promoting hatred and violence.
The video, which was later deleted, later caused outrage across the Opposition, with Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate calling the ruling party “mass murderers” and demanding accountability.
What Was in the Deleted Video?
The now-deleted clip showed Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma holding a gun and aiming at two Muslim men, with the caption “POINT BLANK SHOT.” The video was allegedly linked to a “foreigner-free Assam” campaign targeting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
According to Congress leaders, the video appeared to be a manipulated or edited promotional video that blended real footage of the Chief Minister with AI-generated or digitally altered visuals portraying him shooting Muslim men, particularly Bengali-origin Muslims. The video was widely criticised for being overtly communal and inciting violence.
The INC Kerala alleged that the BJP has dropped all pretences and is now openly issuing calls for genocide against minorities, shockingly depicting a chief minister under constitutional oath shooting Muslims. It questioned why the post was timed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Muslim-majority Malaysia and asked what message this sends to Malaysia’s leadership, Indian Muslims, and minorities abroad. The party warned that such extreme hatred for narrow political gains endangers India’s global standing and national interest.
Supriya Shrinate: ‘Deleting the Video Isn’t Enough’
Reacting strongly, Supriya Shrinate took to X to condemn the post and questioned the silence of constitutional authorities.
“Deleting the video where Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is shown shooting Muslim men with a caption ‘POINT BLANK SHOT’ isn’t enough. 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 wrote.
Shrinate also attached the deleted video to her post, amplifying criticism of the BJP for allegedly normalising violent imagery against minorities.
KC Venugopal Calls It ‘A Call to Genocide’
Congress leader KC Venugopal also lashed out at the BJP, terming the video deeply dangerous and accusing the ruling party of pushing a long-standing ideological agenda.
“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 harboured for decades,” Venugopal said.
He stressed that the video should not be dismissed as troll content and urged the judiciary to act, saying there was little expectation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would intervene.
Shamma Mohamed Questions Supreme Court’s Silence
Congress leader Shamma Mohamed tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X and questioned the Supreme Court’s lack of intervention.
“You talk about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas,’ but your favourite man, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a video shooting Muslims and got it posted from the official handle of BJP Assam. This is an attack on the Indian Constitution,” she wrote.
She added that the court’s failure to take suo motu cognisance raised serious concerns about institutional accountability.
More Leaders Echo ‘Mass Murderers’ Charge
Another Congress leader, Imran Pratapgarhi stated that deleting the video did not absolve the BJP of responsibility.
“Your favorite Chief Minister is directly shooting bullets at the chests of Muslims in his election advertisements, but in reality, he is shooting at the chest of the Constitution. One such bullet was fired by Godse at the chest of Mahatma Gandhi." he wrote.
Video Accused of Deepening Polarisation
Opposition leaders and critics have argued that the video represents a dangerous escalation in political messaging, accusing the BJP of using inflammatory and polarising content that targets minorities under the guise of immigration enforcement.
While the BJP Assam handle has deleted the clip, the controversy continues to intensify, with Congress leaders demanding legal and institutional action over what they describe as an explicit endorsement of violence.
