Silchar, Feb. 26 -- A division bench of the Gauhati High Court on Thursday issued notice to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on a series of public interest litigations (PILs) alleging that he made public statements targeting minority communities.

The lead PIL, filed by Assam-based scholar Hirendranath Gohain and two others, said that despite public videos of the chief minister's alleged hate speeches being available, the Assam Police has not registered a suo motu First Information Report (FIR).

The petitioners had earlier moved the Supreme Court of India with these allegations, but the apex court asked them to approach the High Court (HC) instead.

A bench comprising chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and justice Arun Dev Choudhury or...