'Call to genocide': Political uproar erupts over Assam BJP's 'point-blank shot' video

A video allegedly posted on the official X handle of the ruling BJP in Assam has sparked a political uproar, with the Congress calling on the judiciary to take action.

The now-deleted video reportedly showed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma taking aim with a rifle and firing at two individuals—one wearing a skull cap and the other sporting a beard. The video carried the caption “point-blank shot”.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal condemned the video, calling it a "targeted, point-blank murder of minorities" and described it as a call for genocide. “An official BJP handle posted a video showing the targeted, 'point-blank' murder of minorities. This is nothing but a call to genocide - a dream this fascist regime has harboured for decades,” Venugopal wrote on X.

Venugopal further stated that, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not be expected to condemn or take action against the perpetrators, the judiciary must intervene without leniency. “This is not an innocuous video to be ignored as troll content, but poison spread from the very top, and there must be consequences for this,” he said.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi likened the video to "shooting at the chest of the Constitution", drawing a parallel to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. 

“Dear Prime Minister Ji, your favourite Chief Minister is directly shooting bullets at the chests of Muslims in his election advertisements, but in reality, he is shooting at the chest of the Constitution. One such bullet was fired by Godse at the chest of Mahatma Gandhi,” Pratapgarhi wrote on X.

He added, “Even if this video has now been deleted, Narendra Modi Ji, the question is to you: aren’t you seeing all this yourself?”

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also condemned the video, accusing the BJP of promoting violence. “This is who the BJP really is: Mass murderers. This venom, hatred and violence is on you, Mr Modi. Are the courts and other institutions sleeping?” she said on X.

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed called the video an attack on the Constitution and questioned the Supreme Court’s silence. “This is an attack on the Indian Constitution. I am shocked that the Supreme Court of India is acting as a mute spectator. The court's silence and failure to take suo motu cognisance puts its role into question,” she said.

The video emerged amid the Assam government’s ongoing crackdown on illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in the state.