A group of prominent citizens of Assam has urged the Gauhati High Court to take suo motu cognisance of recent public remarks made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma referring to the state’s Bengali-speaking Muslim community, commonly known as the ‘Miya’ community. The appeal was made through a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, expressing concern that the statements amount to hate speech and violate constitutional principles.
The signatories — comprising academicians, doctors, writers, artists, retired bureaucrats and other civil society members — alleged that the chief minister’s remarks publicly stigmatise and vilify a particular community, leading to social exclusion and discrimination. They argued that such statements, when made by a constitutional authority, cross permissible limits of political speech and risk normalising prejudice against an entire group of citizens.
In their letter, the citizens pointed out that some of the remarks appeared to encourage economic and social discrimination and could potentially incite hostility against the community. They also raised concerns over comments linked to the ongoing Special Revision of electoral rolls, alleging that political directions to target a specific linguistic and religious group could undermine the neutrality of a constitutionally mandated process.
The group maintained that the Constitution guarantees equality, dignity and protection to all citizens, irrespective of religion or language, and warned that silence or inaction in the face of such statements could weaken public faith in constitutional governance. They urged the high court to intervene in order to uphold secular values and the rule of law.
The appeal comes amid an ongoing political debate in Assam over identity, migration and citizenship-related issues. While the chief minister has defended his statements as part of a broader political narrative, opposition parties and civil society organisations have criticised the language as divisive and harmful to communal harmony.
As of the filing of the letter, there has been no official response from the Gauhati High Court on whether it will initiate suo motu proceedings in the matter.
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