More than 30 people have been arrested in Assam so far for controversial social media posts about the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed more than two dozen civilians.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the arrests were made for supporting Pakistan on social media. He also warned that those with greater involvement or a prior history would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).
“There are no similarities between Bharat and Pakistan. The two countries are enemy nations, and we must remain so,” Mr. Sarma stated while speaking with the media on Tuesday.
Earlier, at least 24 people, including an MLA, a journalist, students, a lawyer, and retired teachers, were arrested in Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura for their controversial posts on social media about the Pahalgam attack.
Aminul Islam, an MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), was among the first to be charged with sedition for his statement that the 2019 Pulwama and recent Pahalgam attacks were “conspiracies by the government.”
Last Tuesday, terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, killing 26 tourists in cold blood.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a key security review meeting following the Pahalgam attack, said on Tuesday that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of their response.”
