Congress slams Assam BJP's 'point-blank shot' video for 'targeting' minorities, asks judiciary to act

The Congress on Sunday hit out at the BJP over a purported video posted on the X handle of the ruling party's Assam unit, claiming it shows the "targeted point-blank murder of minorities" and said the judiciary must act in the matter.

The now-deleted video showed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma purportedly taking aim with a rifle and firing a shot at two people, one wearing a skull cap and the other with a beard, with "point-blank shot" as the caption.

Congress general secretary in charge of organisation, K C Venugopal, slammed the BJP over the issue.

"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 said on X.

This is not an innocuous video to be ignored as troll content, but as "poison being spread from the very top", and there must be consequences for this, he said. "There is no hope that Narendra Modi will condemn or act against this, but the judiciary must act, and there shouldn't be any leniency shown in this case," Venugopal said.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that deleting the video, which showed Assam Chief Minister Sarma "shooting Muslim men" with the caption "point-blank shot", was not enough.

"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 said in a post on X, "@narendramodi, you talk about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', but your favourite man, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a video Shooting Muslims and got it posted from the official handle of BJP Assam." "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 added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed the BJP.

"The BJP Assam Pradesh X handle posted one of the most hate-driven, targeted videos titled 'Point Blank Shot'; after outrage, it went on to delete the post, but it was there long enough for many people to download and spread it further," Chaturvedi said on X.

"Shamelessly, EC will ignore this vilest form of hate and political targeting. Toothless and useless, literally, in front of BJP," she added.

In a post on X, the Congress said the BJP's official Assam Pradesh handle posted a video that appears to glorify the "targeted, point-blank murder of minorities".

"It is deeply abhorrent and disturbing and cannot be dismissed as random troll content. This amounts to a call to mass violence and genocide," the party said.

"It is a reflection of the true face of this fascist regime, which has harboured this hatred for decades and, in the last 11 years, tried to normalise it," it said.

Considering the gravity of the matter, there must be strict action against this act of "spreading disharmony and poison" in society, the party said.

"It is clear there can be no hope from the prime minister to condemn and ensure accountability for this. However, the judiciary must step in firmly," it said.

"The Indian National Congress condemns this act and urges the judiciary to take the strictest of action against such open calls for violence that threaten peace and spread social hostility," the party said.