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The Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has removed one of the four co-conveners of its social media cell after a controversial video posted from the party's official X handle sparked widespread criticism.
The now-deleted clip, uploaded last Saturday with the caption "Point Blank Shot," appeared to show Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma aiming a firearm at two individuals. One of the figures in the edited visuals bore a resemblance to Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi. The video concluded with a stylised image of the Chief Minister portrayed as a gun-wielding cowboy.
The post was taken down within 24 hours following backlash from opposition leaders and civil society groups, who described it as inflammatory and inappropriate.
Assam BJP president Dilip Saikia confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken, calling the upload an "immature" and "unauthorised" act. He clarified that while the party remains firm on its stand against illegal immigration, it does not endorse any content that could be interpreted as promoting violence or targeting a particular religious community, reported The Indian Express.
“The party’s position is clear. We are opposed to illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. However, there is no support for any malicious attempt to portray Muslims as targets. The post was mishandled by an individual who acted without authorisation,” Saikia said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma distanced himself from the episode, stating that he had no prior knowledge of the video production or publication. He confirmed that an FIR has been registered following complaints filed by Congress MLAs. According to the Chief Minister, a BJP functionary has also lodged a complaint, expressing displeasure over the nature of the content.
“In Assam, it is well known that our opposition is to illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators, not to Assamese Muslims,” Sarma said, reiterating the party’s stance.