Delhi Court Issues Notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma Over ‘Miya Muslims’ Remarks

A Delhi court has issued a notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma on a plea filed by activist Harsh Mander seeking the registration of an FIR over alleged provocative remarks targeting “Miya Muslims” in Assam.

The notice was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Sonu Agnihotri while hearing Mander’s revision petition challenging an earlier magisterial court order that had refused to direct the filing of an FIR against the Assam chief minister. The court has sought responses from the concerned parties and scheduled the next hearing for July 15, 2026.

The case relates to statements allegedly made by Sarma during an event in Digboi, Tinsukia district, in January this year, where he reportedly referred to removing “four to five lakh Miya voters” from Assam’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision process. Mander’s plea also alleged that the remarks could incite hostility against Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state.

Before the sessions court, Mander’s counsel argued that the earlier court wrongly dismissed the complaint citing lack of territorial jurisdiction and pointed to provisions related to Zero FIR, which allow cognisable offences to be reported at any police station regardless of location. The court has now taken up the matter for further consideration.