Delhi Court Issues Notice to Assam CM Over Controversial Remarks
Court Action Against Himanta Biswa Sarma
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a high level review meeting on Thursday.
New Delhi, May 28: A notice has been issued by a Delhi court to Himanta Biswa Sarma following a petition from activist Harsh Mander, who is seeking to file an FIR against the Assam Chief Minister for his "provocative" comments regarding "Miya Muslims".
During a hearing of Mander's revision petition, Additional Sessions Judge Sonu Agnihotri addressed the matter, which challenged an earlier decision made by a magisterial court on April 20 that had denied the request for an FIR against the BJP leader.
In a ruling dated May 26, the court stated, "The petitioner's counsel highlighted the standard operating procedure (SOP) for Zero FIR and E-FIR issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was included in the revision petition. Based on the arguments presented, a notice for the revision petition will be issued to the respondents, who are required to provide an appropriate response by July 15, 2026."
Mander's application, submitted in April, sought an FIR against Sarma for allegedly making a communally charged statement during an event in Digboi, Tinsukia district, on January 27.
The petition claims that Sarma stated that "four to five lakh Miya voters" would be excluded from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Assam.
The term 'Miya' is often used derogatorily to refer to Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, with many non-Bengali speakers labeling them as Bangladeshi immigrants. Recently, some activists from this community have begun to reclaim the term as a form of resistance.
Mander's petition also alleges that Sarma incited hostility against 'Miyas' by suggesting that "only if they face troubles will they leave Assam" and that "we are ensuring that they cannot vote in Assam".
In court, Mander's counsel contended that the trial court had incorrectly dismissed the application due to a claimed lack of territorial jurisdiction.
The counsel argued that information regarding a cognizable offense can be reported to any police station, regardless of where the offense occurred, citing the Zero FIR principle.
The court acknowledged these arguments and stated, "Notice of the revision petition will be issued to the respondents."