Deleted AI video | Congress files FIR against Himanta; Assam CM files Rs 500 crore defamation case

Sarma's defamation suit called Congress allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.

Guwahati: Amid a row over a deleted AI video, in which Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was shown firing at two Muslims, the Opposition Congress in the poll-bound state on Tuesday lodged an FIR alleging that the same was "highly provocative, communal" and would lead to social disharmony.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee demanded immediate arrest of Himanta.

Sarma, on the other hand, filed a Rs 500 crore defamation suit against AICC general secretary and in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh, Chief of Assam Congress Gaurav Gogoi, former Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghael for their recent allegation that the CM's family owns 4,000 acres of land across Assam.

A team of Assam Congress led by two MLAs--Shivamani Bora and Diganta Barman lodged the FIR at Dispur police station in Guwahati seeking legal action against Sarma. "The content in the video targetted a particular community in highly provocative and communal tone, which will definitely lead to a social disharmony among the people," the FIR said.

It said the overlaid texts in the content included phrases such as "foreigner free Assam," "no mercy," "why did you not go to Pakistan?" and "there is no forgiveness to Bangladeshis." The FIR said the phrases amplified at the state's Bengal origin Muslims, often derogatorilly labelled as miyas or Bangladeshis.

The video, which was uploaded on X by Assam unit of BJP on its handle on February7, however, was deleted the next day after it triggered a furore among the Opposition parties and many legal professionals. They called it a tactics of BJP's communal politics in the run up to Assembly elections in March-April. One of Sarma's targets in the video was Gaurav Gogoi in a skullcap.

Sarma's defamation

Sarma's defamation suit called the Congress allegations as false, malicious and defamatory.

The Congress leaders in a press conference alleged that Sarma's family owns 4,000 acres of land, whereas there were thousands of landless families

across the state. They also alleged massive corruption under Sarma's tenure as CM since 2021.

"The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law. I will not be intimidated by propaganda, coordinated slander, or political theatrics of so called slaves of Gandhi family," Sarma posted on X, earlier.