Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (File photo)
NEW DELHI: The Gauhati high court on Thursday issued a notice to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding multiple PILs that allege he made “hate speech.”A division bench, consisting of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, heard the three petitions. Notices were also issued to the Assam government and the Director General of Police.The court scheduled the next hearing for April 21.”The respondents have to reply to the notices before the next date. The court has not issued any other order,” advocate Santanu Borthakur, who assisted the counsels for one of the petitioners, told PTI.The petitioners include the political parties CPI and CPI(M), each of which filed separate petitions, as well as a joint petition by Sahitya Akademi awardee Hiren Gohain, former DGP Harekrishna Deka, and senior journalist Paresh Malakar.Gohain, Deka, and Malakar submitted their petition on February 24, while the CPI and CPI(M) had filed their separate petitions earlier, on February 21, concerning the same issue.Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused, on February 16, to entertain petitions seeking action against Sarma in a similar matter.The petitioners alleged that Sarma’s remarks could “divide society” and constituted “blatant hate speech” against a minority community in Assam. They claimed he directed party members to file complaints against Bengali-origin Muslims, derogatorily referred to as “Miyas,” to cause them harassment.The PIL stated that Sarma has been instigating social and economic boycotts, propagating harmful stereotypes, and encouraging civilians to take law and order into their own hands. It also alleged that he has used his office to harass the minority community and incite communal disharmony.The petitioners demanded a complete cessation of such hate speech, an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) chaired by a retired high court judge, and appropriate action against Sarma. They noted that despite publicly recorded speeches suggesting incitement, no FIR had been registered, creating a climate of impunity.
