Guwahati: A video generated using artificial intelligence (AI) by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Assam unit, depicting a hypothetical Muslim-majority Assam if the party were not in power, has sparked controversy, with the Congress announcing plans to file a police complaint on Thursday.
The video, circulated on BJP social media handles on Monday, was defended by the party as highlighting the threat posed by illegal immigrants. The Congress, however, criticized the video for targeting its state unit president and Member of Parliament, Gaurav Gogoi.
“The words, actions and images produced by the BJP IT cell do not even have the strength to scratch the surface of Assamese society. The proud state of Assam deserves politicians who help its people reach new heights,” Gogoi wrote on X on Wednesday. He added, “We want a society where hard work trumps hate, decency matters over hubris, democracy crushes autocracy, and everyone is treated with respect.”
The Congress media department said it would file an FIR against the Assam BJP for “posting a communal video on social media targeting our president and party.”
The AI video, released ahead of the September 22 Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, carries the tagline “We can’t let this dream of Paaijaan come true.” The BTC administers four districts in Assam. Assembly elections in the state are scheduled for April-May next year.
The BJP has used the term “Paijaan” for Gogoi, whom Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused since February of alleged links with Pakistan. A special investigation team (SIT) submitted a report on the allegations this month, though its contents remain confidential.
Defending the video, Assam cabinet minister Pijush Hazarika said it did not target all Muslims in the state but depicted a scenario of undocumented migrants from Bangladesh altering Assam’s demography. “The video spoke about the threat of illegal immigrants changing Assam’s demography — yet the opposition immediately labelled it Islamophobia,” he posted on X. Hazarika added, “If discussing illegal immigrants is Islamophobia, then are they suggesting all Muslims are illegal immigrants? Who is the real Islamophobe?”