Harsh Mander: Multiple Cases Used to Intimidate Rights Defenders, Silence Dissent
New Delhi: Rights activist Harsh Mander has described Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s reported threat to file “at least 100 cases” against him as an attempt to intimidate human rights defenders and suppress dissent, following Mander’s police complaint accusing the Chief Minister of hate speech against Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam.
Mander said threats and intimidation would not deter him from pursuing the issue, adding that the Chief Minister’s response itself highlighted the gravity of the complaint. Speaking to Maktoob Media, he said that when a sitting Chief Minister reacts to a legal complaint by threatening mass litigation, it reflects an effort to browbeat and intimidate rather than offer a reasoned legal defence.
Earlier this week, Mander approached the Delhi Police’s Hauz Khas police station seeking registration of an FIR against Sarma under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to promoting enmity, making assertions prejudicial to national integration, issuing statements conducive to public mischief, and outraging religious feelings. The Delhi Police have said the complaint is under examination and that no FIR has been registered so far.
The complaint cites a series of public statements by the Assam Chief Minister in which he allegedly urged people to “trouble Miyas”, a derogatory term used for Bengali-origin Muslims in the state, and claimed that four to five lakh “Miya” voters would be removed from electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision process.
Mander said such remarks were neither casual nor abstract, but targeted a specific religious and linguistic community, dehumanised them, and openly called for their suffering and political exclusion. He warned that when language of hatred is combined with state power and allowed administrative impunity, it becomes dangerous.
He further said statements made by constitutional authorities have direct consequences on the ground, legitimising harassment, emboldening violence and creating fear among already marginalised communities. According to him, the rhetoric risked normalising collective punishment of Muslims in Assam, citing instances where people have allegedly begun echoing the Chief Minister’s words, including videos showing refusal to pay rickshaw pullers fair wages.
Questioning the Chief Minister’s remarks, Mander asked whether it was the role of a Chief Minister to “make people suffer”, as allegedly stated by Sarma. On claims that large numbers of “Miya” voters would be removed from electoral rolls, he said such assertions amounted to an attack on the constitutional right to vote and struck at the core of democracy. He cautioned that electoral verification exercises must not be turned into communal exercises.
Mander also expressed concern over the lack of institutional response, stating that neither authorities nor the Election Commission appeared to be reacting to what he described as open threats. He termed the situation deeply troubling from a constitutional perspective.
Mander told Maktoob Media, even if individuals were suspected to be foreign nationals, due legal process and inter-governmental coordination were mandatory, warning that any other approach amounted to extrajudicial action against civilians.
He also cautioned that the Special Intensive Revision process could be misused, saying there was a real danger of administrative procedures being selectively deployed to disenfranchise Bengali Muslims, drawing attention to Assam’s recent history of exclusionary exercises.
Responding to Sarma’s allegation that he had undermined the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Mander rejected the charge, stating that he had no role in implementing the NRC and was only involved in raising concerns about due process, humanitarian safeguards and the rights of vulnerable people. He said criticism of the NRC arose from its impact on ordinary residents, pointing out that around 19 lakh people were excluded, many of them poor and long-settled residents.
Mander said his involvement during the NRC process was in assisting those most affected, particularly the poor and those intimidated by the state. He added that he was appointed by the National Human Rights Commission to facilitate legal aid, assist affected people and work inside a detention centre, which he described as a “jail within a jail”.
He said the conditions he witnessed there were shocking and that families were being separated. After submitting a report to the NHRC and receiving no response, he resigned and continued his work independently under Karwan-e-Mohabbat to document and highlight the situation.
On what he expects from the Delhi Police, Mander said the matter involved constitutional accountability and that the law should take its course through impartial investigation. He added that if the police failed to act, the issue warranted judicial scrutiny, including possible suo motu cognisance by the courts, and said he was prepared to pursue legal remedies up to the Supreme Court.
Addressing Muslim communities in Assam, Mander said they were not alone and that the Constitution remained on their side, adding that while regimes of hate may not endure, resistance to injustice does.
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Karnataka: GBA city corporation polls likely between June 14 and 24
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi on Friday said elections to the five city corporations under the GBA will be held anytime between June 14 and June 24.
He said the exact date for the polls will be announced after a week, asserting that the power to postpone the elections, as requested by GBA authorities, lies with the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court had directed the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.
On Friday, the SEC held a consultation meeting with the GBA Chief Commissioner and commissioners of the five city corporations regarding the election schedule, as per the provisions of the GBA Act.
“During the meeting, I informed GBA officials that only the election date has to be fixed, as all other measures and formalities for conducting the polls have already been completed,” Sangreshi said.
“They requested the Commission to consider factors such as rains, exams, census work, SIR, and manpower shortages while fixing the date and sought additional time,” he added.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, “I told them this meeting was not for seeking time. Elections to the five corporations under the GBA must be held before June 30, as directed by the Supreme Court, and a compliance report must be submitted to the court. I do not have the power to postpone the elections as requested.”
The Supreme Court has already given a “final opportunity,” and both the SEC and the government must comply with its directions, the State Election Commissioner said.
He asked GBA officials to suggest suitable dates between June 14 and June 24.
“While stating that they are ready for elections, the officials highlighted operational challenges, including manpower shortages. However, I have informed them that the elections will have to be held between June 14 and June 24. After a week, I will announce the final date,” he said.
Reiterating that he does not have the power to postpone the elections, Sangreshi said the authority rests with the Supreme Court, and elections must be conducted as scheduled.
“We have consulted the GBA as per the rules. It is up to them to suggest a date within the given window. If they need more time, they must approach the court. Our responsibility is to fix the date and complete the polls before June 30,” he said.
The matter regarding manpower and other concerns raised by GBA officials is already before the Supreme Court, and the State Election Commission has also filed a petition in this regard. The case is yet to be heard.
“Since the matter has not come up for hearing, the earlier order remains binding. Therefore, preparations are underway,” he added.
The tenure of the previous elected body under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been managing its day-to-day affairs.
Bengaluru was divided into five municipal corporations—Central, East, West, North, and South—under the Greater Bengaluru Authority in September 2025, replacing the BBMP.
Sangreshi had earlier said that elections to the five corporations would be conducted using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines.
This follows the Congress government’s decision last September to recommend the use of ballot papers in all future panchayat and urban local body elections, citing concerns over declining public confidence in EVMs.
The state government subsequently enacted the Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act, 2026, paving the way for the use of ballot papers in local body elections.
