SC to hear fresh pleas against Assam CM over hate speeches
SC to hear fresh pleas against Assam CM over hate speeches
SC to consider listing new pleas against Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged hate speeches targeting Bengali-origin Muslims.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider listing a fresh plea filed by four individuals seeking a direction against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a series of alleged hate speeches targeting Muslims in the state. The petitioners are former professor Hiren Gohain, former DGP Harekrishna Deka, senior journalist Paresh Chandra Malakar and senior advocate Santanu Borthakur.
Earlier, a bench had agreed to list for hearing a separate plea filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and CPI leader Annie Raja seeking action against the Chief Minister over a viral video that allegedly shows him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of the Muslim community. On Wednesday, the bench was urged to list the fresh plea along with the Left leaders’ petition, and the Chief Justice remarked, “We will see.”
The fresh petition alleges that the Chief Minister repeatedly made statements that incite discrimination, social and economic boycotts, and violence against Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam. It contends that Sarma promoted enmity on grounds of religion, language, place of birth and residence in his public speeches and media interactions, using expressions such as “Miya” and “Bangladeshi” against the community.
The petitions also seek FIRs and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, with references to a viral video accompanied by phrases like “no mercy.” These actions are seen in the context of escalating election-related litigation concerns in the region.
The developments signal the ongoing tension between public accountability for leaders and the boundaries of political speech, as courts weigh petitions that accuse a chief minister of targeting a religious minority while the political climate remains highly charged ahead of elections.
