New Delhi: The Supreme Court has sought responses on an application asking for a video shared on social media by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Assam unit to be taken down. The artificial intelligence-generated video shows a made-up and pejorative scenario of an Assam "taken over" by Muslim people and connects it to a future that can come to pass if BJP loses the upcoming election.

The extraordinary communal nature of the video had let to outrage on social media.

LiveLaw has reported that a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice today after hearing advocate Nizam Pasha for applicants Qurban Ali and senior advocate Anjana Prakash. Their petition also notes the dangers of the broad message of the video – that the worst fate that a state can be met with is its takeover by Muslims.

As The Wire had noted, beyond the violent message, the ad brazenly violated the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Both Section 123(3A) and Section 125 prohibit appeals on religious grounds and promotion of enmity during elections. However, the Election Commission has not acted on the ad.

Pasha said in court today, according to LiveLaw, "A video has just been posted as part of upcoming election...it shows that in case a certain political party does not come to power, a certain community will take over...it shows people with skullcaps and beards...[as per Court's directions] FIR should be suo motu lodged...if FIR is not lodged, contempt action is to be undertaken."

The matter has been listed on October 27.

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