Gauhati High Court issues notice to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over ‘Miya’ remarks
The Gauhati High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his alleged remarks targeting “miyas,” a term he often uses to refer to Bengali-origin Muslims. The court acted after hearing a batch of public interest litigations that sought action against the chief minister for repeated statements.
Bench Hears PILs, Seeks Responses
A division bench led by Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Chaudhury heard arguments from senior advocates representing the petitioners. The bench directed authorities to issue notices to the chief minister, the Assam government and the Union government. However, the court said it did not find it necessary at this stage to issue notice to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which one petition had named as a respondent. The court fixed the next hearing for April.
Earlier this month, the petitioners approached the Supreme Court of India. However, the apex court declined to entertain the matter and asked them to move the Gauhati High Court instead.
Petitioners Cite Repeated Statements
Senior advocates, including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Chander Uday Singh and Meenakshi Arora, argued on behalf of the petitioners. They listed multiple public statements made by Sarma since 2023. Singhvi described the remarks as part of a “habitual consistent repetitive pattern.” He argued that the chief minister violated his constitutional oath and principles of equality.
The petitioners also sought registration of an FIR and demanded directions to prevent similar remarks in the future. They cited instances where Sarma allegedly called on people to “trouble miyas” and referred to it as his “job.” They also pointed to statements in which he invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas of non-cooperation to create what they described as a hostile environment.
In addition, the advocates referred to remarks linking a private university owned by a Bengali-origin Muslim businessman to flooding in Guwahati. They also mentioned statements in the state Assembly where Sarma said he would “take sides.” Furthermore, they flagged a deleted AI-generated video posted by BJP Assam that showed an animated depiction of the chief minister aiming a rifle at two men wearing skull caps.
Concerns Over Law and Order
Chander Uday Singh told the court that a chief minister must represent every citizen, regardless of identity. He said the petitioners approached the court out of anguish. Meenakshi Arora argued that a person holding constitutional office must avoid remarks that could trigger law-and-order issues or encourage others to take the law into their own hands.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar orally observed that the submissions suggested a divisive tendency. However, the bench clarified that it would first examine responses from the respondents before passing any further orders.
Political and Legal Implications
The development comes amid ongoing political debate in Assam over identity and migration issues. Sarma has often defended his comments as political statements. Meanwhile, critics argue that such remarks deepen social divisions.
With notices now issued, the case moves into its next phase. The High Court will review the responses in April. Until then, the legal scrutiny over the chief minister’s remarks continues.
