Guwahati: The Assam unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expelled social-media co-convenor Ron Vikash Gaurav after identifying him as the person responsible for posting a controversial artificial-intelligence (AI) generated video on the party’s official X account, party sources said on Wednesday.
The video, shared on February 7 and later deleted following political backlash, depicted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in imagery that appeared to show him aiming a firearm at members of Bengali-origin Muslim community. The clip included captions such as “point-blank shot,” “foreigner free Assam,” and “Why did you not go to Pakistan?” according to a police complaint filed by the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC).
In the FIR lodged at Dispur Police Station, Congress MLAs Sibamoni Bora and Diganta Barman described the content as “highly provocative and communal” and capable of disturbing social harmony. The video was said to symbolically show Sarma targeting members of the Muslim community.
The clip was widely criticised by opposition parties. The Congress, CPI(M), CPI, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who filed a complaint in Hyderabad, called for legal action and accountability over what they described as “inflammatory” and “genocidal hate speech.”
Responding to the controversy, the Assam BJP removed the video and clarified that it was “unauthorised” and “mishandled by an immature party worker.” State BJP chief Dilip Saikia said, the party did not intend to target Muslims and emphasised that content involving sensitive political imagery requires prior approval. He said co-convenors are authorised only to post routine content such as party announcements or greetings, adding, “It was mishandled by an immature and unauthorised person; the party took note, and we got the video deleted.”
The party also highlighted that the content was created and posted by volunteers, with no private agency involved. Ranjib Sarma, the state BJP social media in-charge, oversees sensitive postings, and any material involving the chief minister must have prior approval from him or the CM’s office.
The Assam chief minister has denied prior knowledge of the video and reiterated his political positions. He also filed a Rs 500-crore defamation suit against Congress leaders over unrelated allegations.