Gauhati High Court Issues Notice to Assam CM Over Alleged Hate Speech
Court Action Against Assam Chief Minister
On Thursday, the Gauhati High Court directed Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to respond to multiple petitions alleging that he made hate-filled speeches against Muslims. Reports indicate that the court's division bench, led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, remarked that the statements attributed to the BJP leader exhibited a "fissiparous tendency."
The court has also sought responses from both the central government and the Assam state government regarding these allegations.
In recent weeks, Sarma has made several controversial comments aimed at Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam, referring to them derogatorily as "Miyas." He has publicly stated that it is his responsibility to "make them suffer."
The term "Miya" has historically been used in a derogatory manner to label undocumented immigrants, particularly targeting Muslims of Bengali descent, who are often accused of being illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
Originally a term of respect among South Asian Muslims, "Miya" has been reclaimed by the community to describe those who migrated to Assam from Bengal during the colonial period.
Petitions against Sarma have been filed by various groups, including the Congress party and Assamese scholar Hiren Gohain, as well as the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
During the court proceedings, Advocate CU Singh, representing some petitioners, argued that Sarma's rhetoric amounted to "dog whistling," suggesting that Miya Muslims should be disenfranchised in Assam. He also claimed that Sarma intended to "steal" votes from this community.
With elections approaching in Assam, scheduled for March or April, the implications of these remarks are significant.
Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing another petitioner, emphasized that a constitutional authority has repeatedly engaged in a campaign of hate speech. He referenced a now-deleted social media post from the BJP's Assam unit, which featured a video of Sarma symbolically shooting at images of two Muslim men.
Singhvi described the imagery as reprehensible, especially for someone in a public office. The petitioners also criticized the Assam Police for failing to file a suo moto first information report despite the existence of public videos showcasing the alleged hate speeches, which they argue creates a "climate of impunity."
The petitions call for an independent investigation by a Special Investigation Team into the chief minister's actions, citing violations of laws aimed at promoting enmity between groups and statements that could lead to public disorder.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for April.
Earlier this February, the Supreme Court declined to entertain petitions requesting a first information report against Sarma for his hate speech, directing petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court instead and urging it to prioritize the case.