BJP netas caught on tape, Assam Opposition demands action over hate-fuelled rant

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 8, 2025

A political firestorm has erupted in Assam after a viral video surfaced showing two BJP leaders—MP Pradan Baruah and MLA Bhuban Pegu—allegedly urging violence during a campaign event. The Opposition isn’t staying silent.

Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia has filed a formal complaint at Chimen Chapori Police Station in Dhemaji district, demanding immediate action. The video, first aired by the ‘Sign On’ channel on Facebook and reshared by BJP worker Lakhyajyoti Gogoi, captures a heated exchange between the two leaders and local supporters.

In the clip, Pegu is heard declaring: “This is no game, we must engage in physical violence.” Moments later, Baruah ups the ante: “If you engage in a fight, kill them outright.”

Calling the statements “hate-fuelled” and “deliberately provocative,” Saikia said the two elected officials were clearly trying to incite communal unrest and trigger violence. “This wasn’t off-the-cuff. It was calculated. It was public. And it was dangerous,” Saikia stated.

The FIR invokes serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including Section 196 for promoting enmity between groups, Section 197 for statements harmful to national integration, Section 351 for criminal intimidation, and Section 3(5) for coordinated unlawful acts.

Saikia also pointed to recent violence in Jonai on polling day—where one youth was killed and several injured—as proof of how inflammatory rhetoric can turn deadly. “Six women were arrested. The area is on edge. And this kind of speech only throws fuel on the fire,” he warned.

He urged the police to seize the digital evidence, block the further spread of the video, and launch a swift, impartial investigation. “If this is allowed to slide, it sets a dangerous precedent,” Saikia said.