Opposition Congress is escalating its protest against the Assam cabinet’s decision to issue arms licences to indigenous and original inhabitants living in “vulnerable and remote areas” under a special scheme to protect themselves from “hostile quarters”.

Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, on Friday said that he has written to Union home minister Amit Shah and law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, seeking immediate intervention of the Centre to revoke the decision at the earliest.

The Assam government had on Wednesday announced giving arms licences to indigenous people living in “vulnerable and remote” areas for instilling a sense of security in them. The government will be lenient in giving licences to eligible people, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said while announcing the decision.

Saikia has termed the decision as a “dangerous and divisive policy”. Condemning the cabinet’s decision “to adopt a lenient approach to arms licensing for specific groups”, he asserted that “this unconstitutional action jeopardises Assam’s hard-won peace”.

Saikia also pointed out “how the policy violates fundamental rights and could reignite tensions in the state”.

“Arming civilians along communal lines is a recipe for disaster. The Assam government’s promotion of vigilante justice demonstrates an abdication of its constitutional responsibility to support law enforcement,” Saikia added.

“They (government) should remember that peace cannot be sustained at gunpoint. Following a history of significant unrest, Assam’s populace has at last experienced a degree of peace. The BJP government should not jeopardise this delicate balance. Assam needs progress, not pistols. Assam needs development, not death,” he said.

Saikia’s office released the statement hours ahead of a meeting called by the Congress leadership in Delhi to discuss about the 2026 Assembly elections, the first after the appointment of Gaurav Gogoi as the Assam Congress Committtee’s president.

Party sources said the high command has told the state unit leaders — Gaurav Gogoi, Debabrata Saikia, Bhupen Kumar Borah, Pradyut Bordoloi, Rakibul Hussain, R. Tirkey, P. Sarkar, J. Sikdar — at the Delhi meeting “to work unitedly, build a solid narrative against the ruling BJP alliance to win the Assembly elections”.

On Friday, Gaurav Gogoi also took to his X handle to condemn the government’s decision to “distribute” arms among civilians in border regions of the state. He said: “People of Assam deserve jobs, affordable healthcare, quality education, not guns. Instead of strengthening police and border forces, the government is intent on distributing arms amongst BJP-RSS sympathisers and local criminal syndicates.”

“This will lead to gang violence and crimes based on personal vendettas. Local businessmen and traders are bound to be harassed. This is not governance, this is a dangerous step backwards towards lawlessness and jungle raj.”

“This decision reflects not public concern, but electoral concerns. The chief minister must reverse it immediately and focus on restoring public trust through responsible leadership,” Gogoi added.