A recent video posted by the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on X has sparked widespread condemnation, with critics accusing the party of inciting communal hatred and vilifying Muslims. The AI-generated video, titled 'Assam without BJP', portrays Muslims in Assam as illegal immigrants seizing government land and public spaces. The video also includes a clip purportedly showing Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi, and depicts the party as having a "Pakistan link".
The video has been widely criticized as inflammatory and a deliberate attack on social harmony. Social media users have questioned whether the video is aimed at fomenting violence against Muslims in Assam. One user described the video as "disturbing, hateful, xenophobic, and genocidal," while another questioned how the official social media handle of the ruling party could "dehumanize and dog-whistle minorities like this". Prominent journalist Parth MN called the video "a new low" even by BJP standards.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), has also strongly condemned the video. He has accused the BJP of ignoring real threats to national security and focusing solely on illegal immigration instead of development and diversity. In the past, Owaisi has criticized the BJP for targeting minorities and neglecting the development of regions with large Muslim populations. He has also stated that the BJP is biased and is using these tactics to woo voters.
Critics have compared the video to a campaign ad from the BJP's Jharkhand unit during state elections, which also showed alleged Muslim migrants taking over a family's house. The Election Commission later ordered that the ad be taken down, calling it "communal, malicious and misleading".
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has frequently made controversial remarks about Muslims, claiming that they will outnumber Hindus in the state by 2041 and that most Muslims in Assam are migrants. He has also stated that the state government has been evicting "illegal settlers" from over 1.19 lakh bighas of land since May 2021, adding that "all these people who have encroached upon our land are from one religion".
The BJP has long focused on illegal immigration as a core component of its political discourse. Prime Minister Modi has also spoken about illegal infiltrators, or 'Ghuspetia', in Assam, West Bengal, and Manipur, presenting immigration from Bangladesh and Myanmar as a demographic threat. The Union government has passed the Immigration and Foreigners Act, which gives the government sweeping powers for the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants.
