Guwahati: In a sweeping crackdown following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, Assam authorities have arrested 27 individuals accused of expressing support for Pakistan. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the arrests late Sunday night, stating via a post on X at 10:35 pm, “27 Anti Nationals nabbed till now.”
Among those detained is Aminul Islam, an MLA from the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), who now faces sedition charges for allegedly defending Pakistan’s role in the April 22 attack, which killed 26 civilians—many of them tourists—marking the deadliest such incident in Kashmir since 2019.
Sarma, who had earlier reported 22 arrests as of April 28, noted that the latest arrests were made in Sribhumi and Kamrup districts. The Chief Minister warned that if required, the National Security Act (NSA) would be invoked against the accused. “There are no similarities between Bharat and Pakistan. The two countries are enemy nations, and we must remain like that,” he told reporters.
The arrests underscore the Assam government’s zero-tolerance stance on anti-national activities, especially in the wake of heightened national security concerns. The state’s intelligence and law enforcement agencies remain on high alert as investigations continue into those allegedly promoting pro-Pakistan narratives in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.