Watch | With Assam Hate Ad, BJP Takes Dehumanisation to New Heights
Alishan Jafri
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The Assam BJP’s latest AI-generated ad is a textbook example of fearmongering for votes.
Unlike any other divisive video put out over the last decade, this one takes dehumanisation much further. Instead of stereotyping Muslims as terrorists, it portrays Muslims as so-called “illegal immigrants” leading normal lives—shopping, picnicking, watching cricket, boarding flights. What is the underlying message to voters: if any other party comes to power, Muslims will be allowed to live like normal citizens?
Beyond the violent message to the Muslim community in Assam, this brazenly violates 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—yet no action has been taken by the Election Commission till now.
This ad is not an isolated case. BJP leaders and official accounts have repeatedly circulated hateful symbols, caricatures, and divisive propaganda. Even PM Modi’s own speeches during the 2024 elections were filled with this rhetoric.
Therefore, it seems this is a message from the very top.
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