NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Union government and others a plea seeking directions to take down a video posted by BJP Assam state for openly targetting vilifying and demonising Muslims if the party loses power in the north eastern state.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice on the application filed in a pending writ petition filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former judge Anjana Prakash, related to hate speech.
Advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for the applicant, contended the video, posted as part of upcoming election showed that in case a certain political party does not come to power, a certain community will take over.
"It showed people with skullcaps and beards, in such cases, an FIR should be suo motu lodged, if not, then contempt action is to be undertaken," the bench said.
The application sought directions to X India Pvt Ltd and BJP Assam Pradesh for taking down of the video posted on the social media platform.
The plea claimed that the BJP's Assam unit on September 15, 2025 circulated a video showing a "grossly false narrative that depicts the takeover of Assam by Muslims if the BJP doesn't remain in power in Assam" on its official X handle BJP Assam Pradesh.
The application stated that the video depicted the consequences of a change in the present ruling dispensation and showed visibly Muslim people (wearing skull caps and 'burqas') taking over tea estates, Guhawati airport and Guhawati town.
"The ruling dispensation, BJP-Assam is bound by the Constitution and thereby is bound to uphold the secular values that form part of the basic structure of the Constitution. However, the video circulated by its official twitter openly targets, vilifies and demonizes Muslims," the application filed through advocate Lzafeer Ahmad contended.
It said a state government is the guardian of all communities and is specifically prohibited by the Constitution from engaging in discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, gender and language.
"Thus, the burden of being fair, just and secular is far greater on an elected government," it said.
The application claimed the video was shared on the official X handle of BJP Assam and as on September 18, 2025 reposted 6,100 times, liked 19,000 times and viewed 4.6 million times.
"Thus, the same is required to be taken down immediately to contain any further spread of communal disharmony, unrest and enmity," it said.
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