India, Feb. 27 -- The Gauhati High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in connection with a bunch of PILs, accusing him of giving "hate speech" and making "communal comments" against the 'Miya' community. Notices were also issued to the State Government and the DGP in connection with three different petitions on the matter.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury heard the three petitions.

The court fixed March 21 as the next date of hearing. The Court at one point remarked that the speeches of Sarma cited by the petitioners did show a "fissiparous tendency."

One petition was filed by Assamese litterateur Hiren Gohain, former DGP Harekrishna Deka and se...