Six Arrested In Assam For Anti-India Social Media Posts, NSA Charges For Supporting Pakistan

This follows the April 22 terrorist incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where tourists were shot at by militants at Baisaran Meadow. Tragically, 26 people-including one Nepali national-were killed in the incident, while numerous others were injured.

Six people have been taken into custody by Assam Police thus far for allegedly sharing anti-Indian propaganda on social media following the Pahalgam incident. Aminul Islam, an MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), is one of several individuals from various Assamese districts who were detained.

"This is part of an ongoing effort to crack down on individuals promoting anti-national sentiments," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on social media after confirming the arrests. As investigators continue to search social media for provocative statements linked to the Pahalgam incident, Sarma issued a warning that further arrests would be made.

CM Sarma told reporters in Guwahati that the state government is keeping a careful eye on social media sites and will use the National Security Act (NSA) to punish anyone found to be directly or indirectly supporting Pakistan.

Aminul Islam was detained from his Dhing home after he allegedly made inflammatory comments in a video that connected the 2018 Pulwama terror attack to the Pahalgam massacre. Additionally, he blamed these events on Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was arrested as a result of the tremendous uproar his remarks caused.

Md. Jabir Hussain (Hailakandi), Md. A.K. Bahauddin and Md. Javed Mazumder (Silchar), Md. Mahahar Mia (Morigaon), Md. Aminul Islam (Nagaon), and Md. Sahil Ali (Sivasagar) are among the people who were taken into custody.

In one prominent instance, after Hindu tourists were killed in Pahalgam, A.K. Bahauddin Choudhary, a student at Assam University in Silchar, was imprisoned for uttering offensive and sectarian comments. Following the filing of a formal complaint at the Assam University Police Outpost on April 24, he was taken into custody. Similar disparaging remarks on social media led to the arrest of Md. Javed Mazumder, another Silchar resident.

A Muslim preacher from Morigaon named Md. Mahahar Mia was taken into custody after it was claimed that he said "good job" in a social media post, complimenting the Pahalgam terrorist assault. After a case was filed at the Moirabari Police Station, he was arrested.
Md. Jabir Hussain, a media worker for a local newspaper in Hailakandi, was arrested for making derogatory comments accusing the Supreme Court and the central government of being responsible for the Pahalgam massacres and connecting them to government acts, such as the Waqf Amendment Act. Sivasagar police also detained Md. Sahil Ali for posting offensive content about the attack.

Chief Minister Sarma reaffirmed his determination to punish anyone who make such divisive remarks severely. In the past, he had advised the public not to post anything critical of India and had given the Assam Police orders to take prompt action against anyone caught spreading such ideas.

The arrests have spurred a wider discussion about the duty of users of social media and how it might propagate divisive sentiments.
Authorities in Assam have stated that they will not put up with any behavior that jeopardizes the integrity and unity of the country while the probe is ongoing.

As more people being watched for posts linked to the Pahalgam incident, the crackdown is anticipated to becoming more intense. In his remarks, Chief Minister Sarma also underlined the government's resolve to stop anyone from endorsing Pakistan or spreading anti-Indian propaganda, whether directly or indirectly.