Human rights activist Harsh Mander described Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s vow to file “at least 100 cases” against him as a blatant attempt to intimidate defenders of rights and suppress dissent. The remarks followed Mander’s complaint to Delhi police accusing Sarma of hate speech against Bengali-origin Muslims, whom he derogatorily calls “Miyas.”
Mander told Maktoob Media that such threats from a constitutional authority underscore the complaint’s validity and will not deter his resolve. No amount of intimidation will stop me from fighting for people’s rights, he affirmed.
Earlier this week, Mander approached Hauz Khas police station seeking an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for promoting enmity, prejudicial statements, public mischief, and outraging religious feelings. Delhi Police are examining the matter without registering an FIR yet.
The complaint highlights Sarma’s calls to “trouble Miyas” and predictions of deleting four to five lakh such voters from rolls via Special Intensive Revision. Mander warned that such rhetoric, backed by state power, incites real-world harassment—like videos of unpaid rickshaw pullers—and risks normalising collective punishment, potentially disenfranchising communities under legal guise.
He questioned if inflicting suffering on “Miyas” aligns with a chief minister’s duties, condemned threats to voting rights as anti-democratic, and flagged unchecked expulsions as “extrajudicial civic murder” even for alleged foreigners, demanding bilateral legal processes.
Dismissing Sarma’s claim that he “destroyed” the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Mander detailed his NHRC role aiding 19 lakh excluded poor residents, witnessing “barbaric” detention centre abuses like family separations, and resigning after an ignored report to lead independent efforts through Karwan-e-Mohabbat.
Mander urged impartial police action, with plans to escalate to courts—including seeking suo motu notice—if needed. To Assam’s vulnerable Muslims, he offered reassurance: “You are not alone. The Constitution still stands with you. History shows that regimes of hate do not last forever, but the courage of those who resist injustice does.”