Harun Nasrullah
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has deleted an artificial intelligence-generated (AI) video shared by its Assam state unit that depicted the state’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, firing a gun at Muslim men.
The 17-second clip, titled “Point Blank Shot,” was posted on social media platform X on February 8, before being removed following widespread criticism from opposition parties, civil society groups and Muslim organisations across India.
The video combined genuine footage of Sarma handling a rifle with AI-generated imagery showing him shooting at two Muslim men. Text overlays reading “No Mercy” and “Foreigner Free Assam” appeared throughout the clip.
Assam, a northeastern Indian state bordering Bangladesh, is home to more than 12 million Muslims, who make up around one-third of its population.
Opposition figures accused the BJP of promoting hatred and inciting violence against Muslims.
Aman Wadud, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress in Assam, described the video as “deeply disturbing.”
“This shows the BJP has absolutely no regard for the law or even basic decency,” Wadud said. “It also reflects their desperation. The people of Assam are ready to defeat this politics of hatred and division.”
In a statement, the Congress party said the clip “amounts to a call for mass violence and genocide.”
Mahua Moitra, a senior leader of the All India Trinamool Congress, urged India’s Supreme Court to intervene, writing on X: “What more does this man need to do for the judiciary to wake up?”
Indian media also reported that one of the Muslim figures depicted in the video appeared to resemble a sitting Congress Member of Parliament.
Despite the backlash, the Assam BJP has offered no substantive explanation for the post. Ranjib Kumar Sarma, a local BJP leader, said “There is no comment. It has been deleted. There is nothing to say.”
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has not publicly commented on the controversy. A prominent Hindu nationalist, Sarma has frequently been accused by critics of using inflammatory rhetoric against Muslims, particularly Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam.
State elections in Assam are expected in March or April. Opposition parties have accused the BJP of seeking to polarise voters along religious lines ahead of the polls.
In recent months, Sarma has intensified his attacks on Assam’s Muslim community. Last month, he urged supporters to give “Miya Muslims”, a derogatory term for Bengali-origin, a “hard time.”
Addressing a public gathering, he said: “Even small acts like paying less fare to a rickshaw driver. If they ask for five rupees, give them four. They will leave Assam only if they face hardships.”
Human rights groups have warned that such remarks encourage discrimination and hostility towards an already vulnerable minority. Assam has a long history of tension over migration from neighbouring Bangladesh, with Hindu nationalist groups frequently portraying Bengali-speaking Muslims as “illegal immigrants” and a threat to the state’s culture and identity.
In September last year, the Assam BJP shared another AI-generated video titled “Assam Without BJP,” which depicted the state as being “taken over” by Muslims.
Feature Photo: Controversy in Assam: BJP deletes AI video showing CM Himanta Biswa Sarma targeting Muslims, sparking nationwide outrage over incitement and hate speech ahead of state elections. (Credit: BJB Assam Pradesh/X)
