“Hardcore Islamic Fundamentalists Are Targeting Assam”: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Warns of Foreign Social Media Infiltration

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised alarm over what he described as a coordinated surge of foreign-based Facebook accounts targeting Assam’s political landscape. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma claimed that over 5,000 Facebook accounts had been “suddenly activated” in the past month, many of them allegedly pushing pro-Iran, pro-Palestine, and pro-Muhammad Yunus content. According to the CM, a forensic audit of these accounts has been initiated, and preliminary analysis of 2,092 profiles revealed that 618 originated from Bangladesh, 236 from Pakistan, and others from countries including Palestine, France, Iraq, Egypt, and Kuwait.

Sarma alleged that the users of these profiles belonged to a specific community and were engaging in ideological propaganda. He further claimed that these individuals did not follow Indian political figures like Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party but instead appeared solely focused on Assam-related content and the online activity of a particular leader in the Assam Congress. He referred to the trend as an attempt at “digital infiltration” and “radicalisation,” adding that it had clear undertones of Islamic fundamentalism. The CM said that many of the accounts were attempting to shape online discourse by promoting extremist narratives, potentially disturbing the social fabric of the state.

He asserted that the findings demand serious attention from national security agencies and urged the Union Home Ministry to take cognisance of what he called a growing digital threat. While political reactions have started pouring in, with opposition parties questioning the narrative, Sarma maintained that the assessment is based purely on cyber forensics and IP tracking. He also expressed concern about how such influence operations could impact Assam’s youth and political environment ahead of the upcoming elections. The audit is ongoing, and further revelations are expected in the coming weeks.