On Tuesday, in a development highlighting the judiciary’s vigilance over content potentially disturbing public harmony, the Supreme Court issued notice to X, the Assam government, and the Central government on a petition challenging a video shared by the Assam unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on X, alleged to vilify the Muslim community.
The Division Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta considered the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by journalist Qurban Ali and Senior Advocate Anjana Prakash, which sought urgent removal of the video and legal intervention to curb communal disharmony. The petition raises concerns over a video, which, according to the petition, portrays scenes of individuals wearing skull caps and burqas taking control of public landmarks, including tea estates, Guwahati airport, Rang Ghar, and Guwahati Stadium, and predicts that the State’s population would reach “90% Muslim” in such a scenario.
The petitioners argued that the content, disseminated through the ruling party’s official account, constitutes a “gross violation of the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution,” noting that, "As on 18.09.2025 (17:48 Hrs) it(Video) has been re-posted 6100 times; liked 19,000 times and viewed 4.6 million times. Thus, the same is required to be taken down immediately to contain any further spread of communal disharmony, unrest and enmity."
The PIL emphasizes that while private individuals are legally barred from making speeches or sharing material that incites communal enmity, the circulation of such content by a political party in power represents a heightened breach of constitutional duty. The petition further contends that a State government is constitutionally obligated to uphold secularism and ensure that no official or political entity promotes content discriminating on grounds of religion, race, caste, gender, or language.
The Apex Court has listed the matter for further hearing on October 28.
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