Assam: One more arrested for being a ‘Pakistan sympathiser’, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma; 79 held so far

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said another individual, identified as Farijul Haque from Mangaldai in Darrang district, suspected of being a “Pakistan sympathiser”, has been apprehended. It brings the total number of such arrests to 79 in the state since the Pahalgam terrorist attack last month.

''Crackdown on pro-Pakistani sympathisers. Total arrests made: 79," Sarma posted on 'X' on Friday.

Sarma had previously stated that the state-wide crackdown on traitors would persist and that no one would be exempt.

The police have initiated action against individuals allegedly involved in “anti-India and pro-Pakistan activities.”

The chief minister also mentioned that while the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against some of those arrested for their suspected pro-Pakistan actions, it would not apply to all of them.

On April 24, the police picked him under section 152 of the BNS for statements in a political rally allegedly indicating that the attack was a “conspiracy” by the central government.

Section 152, which applies to “acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India”, has been invoked in many of the cases. Sarma had stated that district administrators were given the power to invoke the NSA against “repeat offenders”. He had called the accused as “traitors defending Pakistan on Indian soil”.

A total of 50 arrests were made across 21 districts, comprising one woman till May 13.

According to SP Numal Mahatta, a social media monitoring cell in his office was reviewing social media posts. “While some of the posts have been detected by this cell, the Cyberdome in the Assam police headquarters is also alerting. There are also three cyber police outposts in Assam: one in Guwahati, one in Dibrugarh and one here in Cachar, which we are observing closely," Indian Express quoted him as saying.