New Delhi: It was the BJP central leadership that got the party’s Assam unit to take down the controversial AI-generated video of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shooting at a photograph of two people in skull caps, one of them being state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi, ThePrint has learnt.
The “hate video” targeting Muslims triggered widespread condemnation and outrage, with multiple complaints filed against the CM in several states.
Following instructions from the central leadership, the Assam BJP suspended Ron Bikash Gaurav, co-convenor of its social media team. Hours after he was removed, Gaurav thanked “the Right Wing community” for standing “beside him like a wall of strength”.
The Assam BJP had posted the video at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country. Trinamool Congress leader and parliamentarian Mahua Moitra had flagged the video to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, tagging him in an X post.
“Dear Anwar Ibrahim, Islam is Malaysia’s official religion with 65% Muslims. Please watch video of a BJP chief minister in India shooting Muslims point blank for fun. Please ask PM Modi to explain this before you engage with him next. @MYHCNewDelhi,” she wrote.
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In another post, the TMC MP also tagged PM Modi and asked him whether “your cops (will) file suo motu FIR as SC ordered” in connection with the video.
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BJP sources told ThePrint that the Assam BJP was instructed to delete the video and take action against the person responsible. A senior BJP functionary in Delhi said on condition of anonymity that the central leadership has set “clear guidelines about social media posts” from official handles.
“There is a certain decorum that has to be maintained and this is not only for Assam but the rest of the country too. Prompt action was taken and the video was also taken down,” the functionary said. “There are several handles (unofficial non-BJP ones) that post such stuff but as a party we cannot indulge in such things. The person in question (Gaurav) seems to have got carried away by the narrative that has been building up in the state.”
In an interview with Times Now, CM Sarma said he had not seen the video. “I have not seen any such video, so what can I say? I have not deleted any video either. On what basis are these allegations being made? Was any video uploaded from my account and then deleted? I do not engage in such actions. I am the chief minister of Assam, and I do not lie. Whatever I say, I say with full responsibility.”
The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to consider listing another plea filed by four people seeking a direction against Sarma over a series of alleged hate speeches targeting Muslims in the state.
‘Right Wing community stood by me’
In a lengthy social media post on X and Facebook, Gaurav, who has been served a show cause notice, described the last 24 hours as “one of the most emotional and defining moments of my life”.
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“In that difficult hour, when silence and uncertainty surrounded me, the Right Wing community did something I will never forget: you stood beside me like a wall of strength. The flood of calls, the countless messages, the unexpected tweets, the words of solidarity from people I know and even from those I have never met, each one felt like a hand on my shoulder telling me you are not alone,” Gaurav wrote.
He added: “I cannot fully express what that means to someone going through such a moment. Your support didn’t just comfort me; it gave me courage, dignity, and renewed faith. Today I feel humbled, emotional, and immensely grateful. This is not just support, it is a bond, a family, a shared belief that rises above positions and titles. No matter what happens next, I will carry this love and solidarity in my heart forever.”
Chief spokesperson of Assam BJP Kishor Upadhyay said Gaurav has been suspended by the party and a show cause has been issued to him as per protocol.
“Everything in our organisation is carried out as per protocol. He did not have the permission to post such a picture. The entire action is unauthorised, which is why prompt action has been taken and he has been removed from his position. Considering he created the post and then posted it without permission, action has been taken against him particularly. This should not have happened and is unfortunate,” he told ThePrint.
A BJP Assam functionary described Gaurav as a hardworking person who contributed a lot towards increasing the outreach of the Assam BJP’s social media platforms. “He was earlier also in-charge of policy and research at BJYM Guwahati city district. What has happened is quite unfortunate and the party should hear his side of the story too,” the functionary said.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)