Guwahati, May 17
In a continuing crackdown on anti-national elements, the Assam Police have arrested four more individuals for allegedly expressing 'pro-Pakistan' sentiments.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the development on Friday evening, reaffirming the state's zero-tolerance stance against those promoting divisive ideologies.
The arrests took place on Friday across different districts -- Rosidul Ali in Tamulpur, Imdadur Rahman in Lakhimpur, Abdul Samad in Hojai, and Sahadad Ali in Dhubri.
The Chief Minister took to social media to share the updates, highlighting the coordinated efforts of district police units in apprehending the suspects.
"Crackdown against anti-national elements continues," CM Sarma wrote, while emphasising the importance of maintaining internal security and social harmony.
These arrests bring the total number of individuals arrested for anti-national activities in Assam to 64.
Among the 64 arrested people, the most prominent is the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam.
He was the first person to be arrested in the state for the "pro-Pakistan" stand.
Aminul Islam, an AIUDF MLA from Assam's Dhing Assembly constituency, was arrested on May 1 on sedition charges following his provocative statement regarding the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.
In a video clip circulated on social media, the AIUDF leader is heard claiming that the Pahalgam and Pulwama attacks were part of a "government conspiracy".
Aminul Islam said: "Six years ago in Pulwama, when the RDX blast happened and 42 soldiers died, I said on that day that the Pulwama blast happened at the behest of a conspiracy of the Central government, and it was a conspiracy to win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls."
He added that what happened in Pahalgam is that the BJP has been peddling that the terrorists asked about religion and opened fire only on Hindus, and they let go of Muslims.
"But the victims said that the terrorists opened fire without asking about anybody's name, and I doubt that the nexus which was involved in the Pulwama attack in which RDX was used, is behind the Pahalgam incident," he said.
"If the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government does not conduct a fair investigation into the incident and tries to bring a division between Hindus and Muslims, I would believe that this incident happened because of a conspiracy," Aminul Islam said, while 'blaming' Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
However, AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal distanced himself from his party legislator's comments.
Ajmal said, "AIUDF stands with the government. The terrorists have no religion, and those who spread terrorism are against Islam."
