Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday firmly rejected allegations that he incited violence against Muslims, responding to a police complaint filed by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over a now-deleted social media video.
Addressing reporters, Sarma said he had no knowledge of the video cited in the complaint and dismissed the accusations as baseless. The Chief Minister said he had nothing to fear from legal action.
“If he has filed a case against me, let them arrest me. I am ready to go to jail. I have no objection,” Sarma said.
The complaint was submitted by Owaisi to the Hyderabad Police Commissioner on February 9, seeking criminal proceedings against Sarma.
Owaisi alleged that the video, which he claimed was circulated from the Assam BJP’s official social media handle, amounted to “genocidal hate speech” and promoted violence against Muslims.
In a post on X, Owaisi said the clip showed Sarma holding a firearm and symbolically targeting individuals portrayed as Muslims, accompanied by phrases such as “point blank shot” and “no mercy.”
He alleged that the content was designed to provoke outrage, hurt religious sentiments and inflame communal tensions.
While denying any role in the alleged video, Sarma reiterated his political stance on illegal immigration.
“I stand by what I have always said. I am against Bangladeshi infiltrators, and I will continue to oppose infiltration,” he said, stressing that his position should not be misinterpreted as being directed against any community.
The controversy erupted after a video posted on the Assam BJP’s social media account showed the Chief Minister aiming a rifle at images of men wearing skullcaps, including one resembling Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
The clip, which carried slogans such as “No mercy to Bangladeshis” and “Foreigner-free Assam,” was later taken down following widespread criticism.