Why Congress is opting for silence as BJP’s AI video targets Assam Muslims
Despite sharp communal overtones in BJP's controversial video, Congress leadership seeks to skip what it calls 'diversionary tactic' to focus on core issues
The Congress has maintained what appears to be a “strategic silence” over a provocative video posted by the BJP’s Assam unit. The 31-second AI-generated clip carries communal undertones, targeting the Muslim community and inciting religious polarisation ahead of assembly elections in the border state.
The video was shared on BJP Assam’s X (formerly Twitter) account, accompanied by the caption: “We can’t let this dream of Paaijaan (Muslims) to be true!!” The post was timed around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi was among the first to condemn the video. He described the BJP’s move as “disgusting” and claimed that the party views the existence of Muslims in India as a “problem”.
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“BJP Assam has posted a disgusting AI video that shows a Muslim-majority Assam if there was no BJP. They are not fear-mongering just for votes; this is the repulsive Hindutva ideology in true form. The very existence of Muslims in India is a problem for them, their dream is a Muslim-mukt Bharat. Besides this constant whining, they’ve no vision for India,” Owaisi wrote on X.
Communal imagery
The video opens with the title “Assam without BJP” and suggests that a non-BJP government in the state would lead to “beef legalisation”. It features a man with a white beard and skullcap cutting meat, followed by images of Congress leaders Gaurav Gogoi and Rahul Gandhi on stage, with a Pakistani flag in the background and the caption “Pakistan Link Party”.
It then shows Muslim women in hijabs and men in skullcaps walking through Assam’s tea gardens. The video also depicts well-known landmarks such as Guwahati Airport, the Accoland water park, Rang Ghar—the state’s oldest amphitheatre from the Ahom dynasty—as well as the Guwahati stadium, all shown as part of a Muslim-majority Assam.
It goes on to depict scenes of illegal immigration, Hindus losing land to Muslims, and claims that without BJP rule, the Muslim population in Assam would rise to 90 percent.
Congress chooses restraint
Despite the controversial nature of the video, the Congress has not issued an official response. This silence has continued even as Modi recently accused Congress and the RJD of supporting illegal immigration. At a rally in Shishabari, Bihar, on September 15, Modi alleged that infiltration had triggered a demographic crisis in states like Bihar, Assam and West Bengal, and promised a crackdown.
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The Federal reached out to Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, who declined to comment, citing campaign commitments.
Senior Congress leader and Assam in-charge Manoj Chauhan, however, told The Federal that the BJP’s video was a diversionary tactic aimed at derailing Rahul Gandhi’s “Vote Chori” campaign, which has gained traction nationwide.
Constructive campaign
“Rahulji has been stressing that core issues need to be raised. We have this Vote Chori issue. With proof, Rahul Gandhiji has shown how the EC and BJP are colluding to commit vote theft to help Modi and the BJP win. You [BJP] have been exposed,” Chauhan said.
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On the Congress party’s silence over the video, he said: “Congress works on constructive lines. We don’t believe in destructive things. We want to address the real issues of the people of Assam—like we did in Telangana and Karnataka.”
Chauhan added that the Congress aims to serve the public, not indulge in “communal and divisive politics” like the BJP. “The Congress takes everyone along. Our party follows Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology. This country will be run by the Constitution—not by directives from Nagpur,” he said.
A strategic choice?
A senior Congress leader from Assam, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Federal that the silence is deliberate.
“How long will Congress respond to the nuisance created by the BJP? They do destructive politics. Himanta Biswa Sarma had claimed on September 10 that he would bring an earthquake against Gaurav Gogoi. Has he?” the leader asked.
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He accused the BJP of lacking substantive issues ahead of the elections. “The Congress follows a constructive path. We will focus on what Congress can do for Assam’s development. We will raise corruption allegations against BJP leader Sarma and the illegal syndicate reportedly run by his wife in the state,” the leader said.
He argued that the BJP is attempting to provoke the Congress into responding. “Why should we fall into their narrative? The BJP is doing this to cover up its failures. It’s a trap. Dirty politics, communal politics—that’s what they do. We won’t fall into this dirty pit,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s direction
Another Congress leader in Delhi told The Federal that Rahul Gandhi has consistently advised party workers to remain focused on real issues.
“Rahulji has been stressing that core issues need to be raised. The Vote Chori issue has found resonance across the country. Rahulji has clearly shown, with facts, how the EC and BJP are colluding on vote theft. Now that Modi and BJP have been exposed, their only resort is to fall back on communal politics,” the leader said.
