Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday attacked Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a controversial video that allegedly showed him symbolically shooting at individuals portrayed as Muslims. Calling the clip “a shocking, direct incitement of violence against the Miya community,” Vijayan accused the BJP of attempting to normalise hate for electoral gains.
In a post on X, Vijayan said such actions were “an affront to our Constitution” and alleged that the silence of the BJP’s national leadership indicated complicity in divisive politics. He urged “secular and democratic forces” to unite against communal hatred and safeguard India’s pluralistic ethos.
The row comes amid escalating political reactions to the now-deleted video, which was reportedly shared from the Assam BJP’s official social media handle. The clip showed Sarma aiming a firearm at photographs of men wearing skullcaps, alongside phrases such as “Point blank shot” and “No mercy,” sparking widespread outrage.
Earlier in the day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi filed a complaint with the Hyderabad Police Commissioner, seeking criminal action against Sarma and accusing him of promoting “genocidal hate speech.” Owaisi alleged that the content was intended to inflame religious sentiments and incite communal hostility.
Sarma, however, dismissed the allegations, stating he had no knowledge of the video. “I am ready to go to jail. If he has filed a case against me, arrest me. I have no objection,” he said, while reiterating his long-standing stance against illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators.
The video was removed following public backlash, but the controversy has intensified political tensions, with leaders across party lines weighing in as debates over communal rhetoric continue.
