SC issues notice on plea to remove BJP Assam’s Muslim ‘takeover’ video

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice on a plea seeking directions for the removal of a video posted by the official X handle of BJP Assam, which allegedly spreads communal disharmony and vilifies the Muslim community.

The application pointed to a video circulated on September 15, from the handle ‘BJP Assam Pradesh’ that purportedly depicts a “grossly false narrative” suggesting a Muslim “takeover” of Assam if the BJP doesn’t continue in power.

Issuing notice, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta sought responses from the BJP Assam unit and the social media platform ‘X’ and listed the matter for hearing on October 27.

The application, filed through advocate Lzafeer Ahmad, stated that the video shows “visibly Muslim people (wearing skull caps and burqas) taking over tea estates, Guwahati airport, Assam Ranghar, Guwahati Stadium, and Guwahati town,” while also depicting “illegal migrants who are visibly Muslim coming into Assam; Muslims acquiring government land; and finally, that the State has 90% Muslim population.”

The petitioners have sought urgent removal of the video, which has garnered over 4.6 million views, 19,000 likes, and 6,100 reposts as of September 18.

“As the ruling dispensation, BJP-Assam is bound by the Constitution of India and thereby is bound to uphold the secular values that form part of the basic structure of the Constitution. However, the video circulated by its official Twitter openly targets, vilifies and demonises Muslims,” the application stated.

“The broad message of the video is that the worst fate that a State can be met with is its takeover by Muslims, and on the strength of the assurance that if the BJP is voted into power, the State would be saved from the same, support is being sought,” it added.

The application has argued that the act of disseminating such content amounts to a “gross failure as well as the complete disregard of secular values that the ruling dispensation of any State of our country is bound to uphold”.

It prayed the Supreme Court to direct X and BJP Assam to “take down the video dated 15.09.2025” to prevent “any further spread of communal disharmony, unrest and enmity”.

The application has been filed in the matter seeking action against hate speeches and communal incitement by political and religious leaders, with multiple directions issued by the top court to law enforcement agencies in the past.

IANS