The Assam BJP has dropped several videos since Monday flagging the threat from illegal immigrants, and at least two party leaders have suggested that “illegal” Miya Muslims will “take over the state” in the future if the BJP is not in power.

Miyas, Bengali-speaking Muslims, are perceived by a large section in the state, especially in Upper Assam, as infiltrators from present-day Bangladesh. Miyas play a decisive role in over 30 of the 126 Assembly seats in the state.

The first video, generated through AI, was dropped by the state BJP’s official X handle on the night of September 15 with the tagline “Assam without BJP” and a caption that says “We can’t let this dream of Paaijaan to be true!!”

The 31-second video shows the “takeover” of Assam in the future by illegal immigrants — from Guwahati and the airport to Ahom-era Ranghar, tea estates and Guwahati Stadium — with an appeal to “choose vote carefully”. The video has since garnered over three million-plus views.

The state BJP dropped three more videos on Wednesday — two of them showing a public meeting with Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi in attendance, where Miya song and dance were being performed.

The other video was on how the state government was reclaiming encroached forest land through eviction in the state.

The Opposition parties in Assam have claimed the aggressive eviction drive that started in June has mostly targeted Bengali-speaking Muslims.

State BJP leaders have thrown their weight behind the video blitzkrieg, which comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies in Assam on September 14 where he flagged the threat the state faced from infiltration. Modi also warned that the country will never forgive those who are trying to “save the infiltrators”.

Political observers said central leaders raising the influx issue at regular intervals and the state BJP taking the line forward through these videos makes it abundantly clear that infiltration will be the key poll plank of the party in Assam polls next year.

Influx has remained an emotive issue in the state since the eighties when the six-year-long Anti-Foreigners Agitation took place, culminating with the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985 for the detection and deportation of illegal migrants with March 24, 1971 as the cut-off year. However, the key clauses of the pact remains unimplemented.

Reacting to remarks by a senior journalist about the BJP seeking vote by “demonising a religious community” through the “Assam without BJP” video, BJP MLA Manab Deka urged her to “stop trying to protect illegal Miyas by giving a colour of religion”.

Pijush Haazarika, a BJP minister, said in an X post that a “gang of journalists and their pet ecosystem are bawling like ‘professional rotlus’ ever since @BJP4Assam dropped a video exposing what Assam’s future would look like if Paaijaan ever grabbed power”.

The video “clearly spoke about the threat of illegal immigrants who are changing Assam’s demography”, Haazarika said while hitting out at the “champions of secularism”.

Opp reaction

However, there has been criticism of the BJP for uploading such “polarising” videos. Assam Congress Legislature Party leader, Debabrata Saikia, said official figure does not support the ruling party’s “propaganda”.

“If the BJP, as it has promised on numerous occasions, implements the 1985 Assam Accord to detect and deport infiltrators, there is nothing to fear... but the question is will it implement the 1985 Accord?”

“The BJP is busy inviting illegal migrants through the CAA and the recently-notified Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, which has pushed back the cut-off date for identifying illegal foreigners from March 24, 1971 to December 2024! The BJP is more interested in dividing the society and spreading fear,” Saikia said.

Saikia further said the state BJP was taking forward the ghuspetiya line spelt out by the Prime Minister during his recent Assam visit.

“This AI generated video has only exposed the failure of the Centre-led by the PM to check influx and deport infiltrators, and also its lack of commitment to implement the Assam Accord since coming to power in 2014,” Saikia said.

Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi posted on X: “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.”

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi said: “The words, actions and images produced by the BJP IT cell do not even have the strength to scratch the surface of Assamese society.”

“Assam has been nurtured by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva, Azan Pir, Swargadeo Siukapha, Lachit Borphukan and Bhupen Hazarika. People with links to smuggling of cattle, coal, betel leaves, drugs will not dictate to the Assamese mind,” Gogoi said taking a dig at the BJP leaders without naming them.