In a dramatic turn of events, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging remarks made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that his use of the word “Miya” for Muslims amounts to hate speech and violates constitutional values.
In its petition, the organisation has argued that the term is widely understood in Assam as a slur against Muslims and that its use by a person holding a constitutional office cannot be brushed aside as political talk or protected speech. The plea states that such remarks amount to a conscious effort to vilify and stigmatise an entire community.
According to the petition filed by Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani, the Chief Minister’s comments go beyond free expression and enter the realm of promoting hostility and communal division. The organisation has urged the apex court to frame clear guidelines to regulate public statements made by constitutional functionaries, ensuring that no one uses their position to incite hatred or target any community.
The petition refers specifically to a speech delivered by the Assam Chief Minister on January 27, 2026, in which he allegedly claimed that four to five lakh “Miya” voters would be removed from electoral rolls and asserted that he and his party were “directly against the Miya community.” Jamiat has said that such statements deepen social fault lines and openly target Muslims under a derogatory label.
The organisation has further contended that remarks of this nature strike at the heart of the Constitution, undermining principles of equality, fraternity, secularism and human dignity. It has maintained that there is no legal justification to shield such statements under the right to freedom of speech.
Raising concern over the continuation of such speeches despite earlier suo motu directions by the Supreme Court against hate speech, Jamiat said stronger safeguards are urgently needed. “No individual, irrespective of position, can be allowed to place themselves above constitutional norms,” the plea asserts.
The case has been filed through Advocate Farrukh Rasheed, while the written submissions have been prepared by Senior Advocate M.R. Shamshad.
Also Read: Assam CM Orders Tight Security as Jamiat Delegation Visits Goalpara
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Assam CM’s ‘Miya’ Comment Reaches Supreme Court as Jamiat Files Petition
In its petition, the organisation has argued that the term is widely understood in Assam as a slur against Muslims and that its use by a person holding a constitutional office cannot be brushed aside as political talk or protected speech.
Mahmood Madani
In a dramatic turn of events, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging remarks made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that his use of the word “Miya” for Muslims amounts to hate speech and violates constitutional values.
In its petition, the organisation has argued that the term is widely understood in Assam as a slur against Muslims and that its use by a person holding a constitutional office cannot be brushed aside as political talk or protected speech. The plea states that such remarks amount to a conscious effort to vilify and stigmatise an entire community.
According to the petition filed by Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani, the Chief Minister’s comments go beyond free expression and enter the realm of promoting hostility and communal division. The organisation has urged the apex court to frame clear guidelines to regulate public statements made by constitutional functionaries, ensuring that no one uses their position to incite hatred or target any community.
The petition refers specifically to a speech delivered by the Assam Chief Minister on January 27, 2026, in which he allegedly claimed that four to five lakh “Miya” voters would be removed from electoral rolls and asserted that he and his party were “directly against the Miya community.” Jamiat has said that such statements deepen social fault lines and openly target Muslims under a derogatory label.
The organisation has further contended that remarks of this nature strike at the heart of the Constitution, undermining principles of equality, fraternity, secularism and human dignity. It has maintained that there is no legal justification to shield such statements under the right to freedom of speech.
Raising concern over the continuation of such speeches despite earlier suo motu directions by the Supreme Court against hate speech, Jamiat said stronger safeguards are urgently needed. “No individual, irrespective of position, can be allowed to place themselves above constitutional norms,” the plea asserts.
The case has been filed through Advocate Farrukh Rasheed, while the written submissions have been prepared by Senior Advocate M.R. Shamshad.
Also Read: Assam CM Orders Tight Security as Jamiat Delegation Visits Goalpara