The Gauhati High Court has issued a formal notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following multiple petitions accusing him of delivering hate speeches targeting the ‘Miya’ (Bengali-origin Muslim) community. A Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar, observed that the statements presented by the petitioners—which include the Congress party, the CPI(M), and scholar Hiren Gohain—exhibit a “fissiparous tendency” that could undermine communal harmony. The court has also directed the Central and Assam governments to respond to the allegations, with the next hearing scheduled for April 21, 2026.
Legal representatives for the petitioners, including senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Meenakshi Arora, argued that the Chief Minister has engaged in a “habitual pattern of incitement.” They specifically cited instances of provocative social media content, calls for economic boycotts, and rhetoric suggesting the restriction of voting rights for certain communities. The petitioners contend that such actions violate the secular mandate and equality provisions of the Indian Constitution’s Preamble. While the court has begun its examination of these claims, it emphasized that it will carefully review all submissions before reaching a final conclusion on whether the Chief Minister’s remarks constitute a legal violation.
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