Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said 16 “rogue elements” have been arrested from different parts of the state for “promoting” anti-national sentiments in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 dead.
In a post on X, Sarma said police had arrested Dadhichi Dimple alias Dimple Bora (Golaghat), Tahib Ali (Tamulpur), and Bimal Mahato (Udalguri Police). “Total 16 arrests have been made till now against rogue elements,” he said.
The government’s crackdown began with the arrest of AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam on Thursday for his “misleading and instigating statements” linked to the terror attack.
Addressing a campaign rally in Upper Assam for the May 2 and 7 panchayat elections on Sunday, Sarma said the army and the Prime Minister would deal with “our enemies living outside the country” but warned that those living within “should also not be spared,” asserting that all those acting against national interests “will be put in jail... no one will be spared.”
He reiterated that those who carried out the terror attack had come from Pakistan.
On Saturday, Sarma had said those arrested faced police action for making “seditious comments” on social media following the Pahalgam attack.
He has repeatedly flagged the terror attack at his campaign rallies and on social media posts.
On Saturday, Sarma posted a long message on X criticising the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty signed by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, calling it one of the “greatest strategic blunders.” He followed it up with another post hitting out at Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s reaction to India’s decision to keep the treaty in abeyance.
In another post on Saturday, Sarma said, “My job is clear — to come down hard on pro-Pakistani and pro-Bangladeshi elements in Assam and to take stringent action against them.”
Speaking to reporters after a campaign rally, he added, “This is why we are taking the toughest possible stand against the sympathisers of Pakistan and the present rulers of Bangladesh.”
Those arrested on Saturday for posting “content supporting Pakistan on social media” included Sumon Mazumdar (Hailakandi), Mashud Azhar (Nagaon), Baktar Hussain Barbhuiya (Sonai), Md. Imran Hussain Borbhuiya (Silchar) and Md Mustak Ahmed (Karimganj).
Four persons have also been arrested in Tripura and one in Meghalaya for “similarly objectionable posts” till Saturday.
Nagaland advisory
On Saturday, Nagaland police issued a press statement in the “background” of the terror attack and subsequent developments, stating it had “learnt that inimical and anti-national forces will use all tactics to encourage and spread misinformation and false propaganda with the aim of disturbing the peace and law and order in the country and also in Nagaland.”
“One of the easiest ways to do this is through the use of social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), using available tools including AI. Many of these posts originate from handles run by Pakistan or their agents. Subsequently, these posts are often downloaded and shared by the unsuspecting public,” the statement said.
“There is apprehension that, in times to come, many newly created accounts and handles will emerge on social media to spread and propagate emotional and anti-national sentiments among people at large and create disaffection among communities. All citizens are requested not to believe everything they come across on social media without proper verification and due diligence,” the police added.