A controversy has erupted after the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) posted and subsequently deleted an AI-generated video on its X handle featuring Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The video, which was captioned "point-blank shot," depicted Sarma appearing to aim and fire a rifle at two individuals, one wearing a skull cap and the other sporting a beard.
The now-deleted clip showed Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma holding a gun and aiming at two Muslim men, with the caption “POINT BLANK SHOT”. Captions such as "no mercy" and "foreigner-free Assam" were also included in the video. The video was allegedly linked to a “foreigner-free Assam” campaign targeting illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. One report stated that one of the individuals depicted was Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi wearing a skull cap. At the end of the 17-second video, the Chief Minister is shown like a cowboy, replete with a gun and a cowboy hat.
The Indian National Congress (INC) has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, with leaders decrying the video as a blatant attempt to target minorities and incite violence. Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal labeled the video as a "call to genocide" that reflects the BJP's "long-standing fascist agenda" and called for immediate judicial intervention. He expressed doubt that the government would take action and emphasized the urgent need for judicial scrutiny.
Other Congress leaders echoed Venugopal's sentiments, with some calling the BJP "mass murderers" and demanding accountability. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asserted that deleting the video does not absolve the BJP of responsibility. Shama Mohammed, another Congress spokesperson, accused the BJP of undermining constitutional values. The INC Kerala stated that the BJP has dropped all pretenses and is now openly issuing calls for genocide against minorities, "shockingly depicting a chief minister under constitutional oath shooting Muslims".
The video, which garnered over 5 lakh views before being deleted, has sparked outrage across the opposition. Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose demanded immediate action against whoever created the video. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticized the Election Commission for allegedly ignoring the issue.
The video appeared to be a manipulated promotional video that combined real footage of the Chief Minister with AI-generated or digitally altered visuals portraying him shooting Muslim men, particularly Bengali-origin Muslims. The video was widely criticized for being overtly communal and inciting violence.