Himanta Biswa Sarma reacts to Asaduddin Owaisi filing case on his ‘point-blank’ video: ‘Arrest me’

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday reacted to AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi’s case over a now-deleted video, saying he was “ready to go to jail.”

As reported by ANI, Assam CM said, “I am ready to go to jail, what can I do? I do not know anything about any video. If he has filed a case against me, arrest me; what objection do I have? I have no objection. But I stand by my words, I am against Bangladeshi infiltrators and I will continue to be against them.”

The video, originally shared on X by the Assam BJP and later taken down, allegedly showed Sarma aiming a rifle and firing at two individuals—one wearing a skull cap and the other with a beard—accompanied by the caption “point-blank shot."

In a post on 'X', the Hyderabad MP said, “Unfortunately, genocidal hate speech has become a norm.”

In his complaint, Owaisi accused Sarma of "deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of Muslims", promote enmity between the two religious communities, and make imputations prejudicial to national integration.

The AIMIM chief further accused Sarma of continuously making statements over the past several years against the Muslim community through social media, print platforms, public speeches and other forums.

He alleged that in recent months, the chief minister had deliberately intensified his "hate speeches with a clear and conscious intention to outrage the religious feelings of Muslims and promote enmity and hatred between Hindus and Muslims", fully aware that such imputations are prejudicial to national integration and destructive of communal harmony.

Owaisi said the recent purported video posted on the 'X' handle of the BJP's Assam unit on February 7-which was taken down a day later but continues to circulate on social media-depicts Sarma being portrayed as armed with a firearm and aiming it at persons "clearly depicted as Muslims", before shooting at them.

"The said post and video, along with the imagery used and phrases such as 'point-blank shot' and 'no mercy', constitute a deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage the religious feelings of Muslims, promote hatred and ill-will between religious communities, and incite communal violence," Owaisi said, seeking legal action against Sarma in accordance with the law.

(With inputs from agencies)

(This is a developing story; check later for updates)