New Delhi, February 8 The Congress on Sunday criticized the BJP over a purported video posted on the X handle of the ruling party's Assam unit, claiming it shows the "targeted, point-blank murder of minorities" and said the judiciary must intervene.
The now-deleted video purportedly showed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma aiming with a rifle and firing at two people, one wearing a skullcap and the other with a beard, with the caption "point-blank shot."
Congress general secretary in charge of organization, K C Venugopal, condemned the BJP over the issue.
"The official BJP handle posted a video showing the targeted, 'point-blank' murder of minorities. This is nothing but a call to genocide - a dream that this fascist regime has harbored for decades," Venugopal said on X.
He stated that the video was not innocuous and should not be dismissed as troll content, but as "poison being spread from the very top," and there should be consequences for this.
"There is no hope that Narendra Modi will condemn or act against this, but the judiciary must intervene, and there should be no leniency shown in this case," Venugopal said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that deleting the video, which showed Assam Chief Minister Sarma "shooting Muslim men" with the caption "point-blank shot," was not enough.
"This is who the BJP really is: Mass murderers. This venom, hatred, and violence is on you, Mr. Modi. Are the courts and other institutions sleeping?" she said on X.
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed said in a post on X, "@narendramodi, you talk about 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas', but your favorite man, Himanta Biswa Sarma, made a video shooting Muslims and got it posted from the official handle of BJP Assam."
"This is an attack on the Indian Constitution. I am shocked that the Supreme Court of India is acting as a mute spectator. The court's silence and failure to take suo motu cognizance puts its role into question," she added.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized the BJP.
"The BJP Assam Pradesh X handle posted one of the most hate-driven, targeted videos titled 'Point Blank Shot'; after outrage, it went on to delete the post, but it was there long enough for many people to download and spread it further," Chaturvedi said on X.
"Shamelessly, the EC will ignore this vilest form of hate and political targeting. It is toothless and useless, literally, in front of BJP," she added.
In a post on X, the Congress said the BJP's official Assam Pradesh handle posted a video that appears to glorify the "targeted, point-blank murder of minorities".
"It is deeply abhorrent and disturbing and cannot be dismissed as random troll content. This amounts to a call to mass violence and genocide," the party said.
"It is a reflection of the true face of this fascist regime, which has harbored this hatred for decades and, in the last 11 years, tried to normalize it," it said.
Considering the gravity of the matter, there must be strict action against this act of "spreading disharmony and poison" in society, the party said.
"It is clear there can be no hope from the prime minister to condemn and ensure accountability for this. However, the judiciary must step in firmly," it said.
"The Indian National Congress condemns this act and urges the judiciary to take the strictest of action against such open calls for violence that threaten peace and spread social hostility," the party said.