'Don't know anything, ready to go to jail’: Himanta Sarma amid backlash over ‘point-blank shot’ video

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has evoked a major controversy on a now deleted point blank shot video, he said he has no knowledge of any such video and said that he stands by his words and is ready to go to jail.

AIMIM chief Assaduddin Owaisi has filed a complaint against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma demanding criminal action against him. The video allegedly showed Sarma pointing an air gun at framed photographs of Muslims.

"I have lodged an official complaint demanding criminal action against Himanta Sarma for his (now deleted) violent video showing him shooting Muslims. Unfortunately, genocidal hate speech has become a norm," he said on X.


When media persons asked Sarma about the complaint, Sarma said he has no knowledge of any such video and said that he stands by his words.

"I am ready to go to jail, what can I do? I do not know anything about any video. If he has filed a case against me, arrest me; what objection do I have? I have no objection. But I stand by my words, I am against Bangladeshi infiltrators, and I will continue to be against them," Sarma said.

The controversy stems from when the BJP state unit on official social media handle posted a video Sarma is seen taking an air gun and firing from point blank and firing at two men wearing skull caps. The video was allegedly posted with the caption "Point blank shot".

The video was taken down as a huge political backlash. In some frames of the video Sarma was portrayed as a cowboy and there were embedded texts in Assamese reportedly reading, "Why did you not go to Pakistan?" and "There is no forgiveness to Bangladeshis."

Assam BJP unit President Dilip Saikia said, “When we show that the video was wrongly interpreted and is causing discomfort to the people we removed it. So taking the sentiment into account we deleted the video.”