A social media post shared by the official X handle of the BJP Assam has triggered strong criticism after it showed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma firing an air rifle at targets depicted wearing Muslim caps. The video, overlaid with dramatic clips from the film No Mercy, carried the caption “Point blank shot” and was widely seen as promoting hostility towards Muslims.
The post appeared amid a series of controversial statements by Sarma targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. In recent weeks, the Chief Minister had said he would “make the Miya community suffer” and asked BJP workers to confront Bengali Muslim voters during electoral roll verification. These remarks had already drawn sharp reactions from civil society, former bureaucrats, and rights groups, some of whom urged the Supreme Court to intervene, calling the statements unconstitutional.
The video quickly went viral, crossing more than 2.7 lakh views, and sparked outrage across social media platforms. Critics described it as hate speech that normalises violence against Muslims. Many pointed out that the targets shown in the video resembled Bengali-origin Muslims, a community often accused by the Assam government of being illegal immigrants.
Responding to the post, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose wrote, “Shameful. Whoever has made this ad needs to be immediately arrested. You need to act,” tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Journalist Rana Ayyub also condemned the video, saying, “Hate to amplify this, but it just exposes the depravity from the top. BJP Twitter handle shares a meme of Himanta Biswa firing a bullet at Muslims while the Prime Minister talks about a grand reception in Muslim-majority Malaysia.”
Another journalist, M Reyaz, criticised the ruling party for sharing content that appeared to celebrate violence against the Miya community. “They have no hesitation in depicting the killing of Miya people,” he said.
The video included text such as “foreigner free Assam,” “no mercy,” “why did you not go to Pakistan,” and “there is no forgiveness to Bangladeshis,” further intensifying allegations that it targeted Bengali-speaking Muslims by branding them as outsiders.
Rights activists and opposition leaders said the post reflected a dangerous pattern of dehumanisation. Many argued that Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam are Indian citizens, some tracing their roots back to the British period, and that repeatedly portraying them as foreigners fuels discrimination and fear.
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate reacted strongly even after the video was deleted. “Deleting the video where Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is shown shooting Muslim men with a caption ‘Point Blank Shot’ is not enough,” she wrote. “This is who the BJP really is. Mass murderers. This venom, hatred and violence is on you Mr Modi. Are the courts and institutions sleeping?”
Human rights activist Harsh Mander has filed a police complaint accusing Sarma of hate speech and violating constitutional values. Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has also approached the Supreme Court, alleging that the Chief Minister’s statements and conduct amount to communal incitement from a person holding a high public office.
Although the BJP Assam unit later deleted the video, critics say the damage has already been done.
