Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday revealed that approximately 5,000 Facebook accounts, allegedly promoting a “particular political party” in the state and “hardcore Islamic fundamentalist content,” have recently become active ahead of the upcoming elections in the state.
Addressing a press conference held at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Dispur, Â CM Sarma stated that many of these accounts, operational for about a month, operate from outside India but misleadingly show their location as IIT Guwahati to gain credibility.
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“These profiles usually share content related to Assam’s elections and promote a particular political party. The accounts mix political narratives on Assam with hardcore Islamic fundamentalist content, ” the Chief Minister noted.
“Beyond Assam-specific content, these accounts reportedly focus on topics related to Iran, Iraq, Palestine, or religious subjects like Umrah, ” he said.
CM Sarma confirmed that checks with IIT Guwahati found no records of such individuals.
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He said that authorities traced two of the exposed accounts, which used fake identities, to Bangladesh and Pakistan. He stated that the government is now surveilling those behind these accounts.
“These people are connected through WhatsApp or Telegram groups. They become active after any controversial incident,” he stated.
The Chief Minister further said a study of 2,092 Facebook profiles showed 618 were from Bangladesh, 236 from Pakistan, 88 from Kuwait, 54 from France, 35 from Afghanistan, 16 from Indonesia, and 10 from Jordan. Some accounts were from countries such as Albania, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Libya.
Furthermore, Chief Minister Sarma also issued a stern warning against violators of the Assam Cattle Preservation Act of 2021, which regulates cattle slaughter, consumption, and transportation. The law specifically prohibits the sale or consumption of beef within a 5-km radius of any temple or namghar (neo-Vaishnav prayer hall).
Sarma cited multiple violations during Id-ul-Zuha, stating that authorities could have avoided them if they enforced the law’s provisions and made them known to the public.
He specified that during the festival, people consumed beef within restricted zones in Dhubri, Lakhipur, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, and Hojai districts.
“These incidents didn’t occur randomly. These incidents occurred mainly in sensitive areas where people did not follow this particular provision of the Cattle Preservation Act,” he added.
Meanwhile, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi accused “criminal-minded” individuals within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and other Hindutva groups of creating communal tension ahead of elections. Gogoi claimed this was a tactic to divert public attention from the government’s failures.
Accusing the Chief Minister of engaging in “Jinnah-type politics,” Gogoi demanded investigations into those “behind the idea” of placing beef and cow parts in public places, including religious institutions, as well as those who carried out such acts.
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