Indian police have arrested 81 people in Assam for allegedly "sympathizing with Pakistan," state Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced Sunday.
The crackdown targets social media activity deemed "anti-national," including one case where an individual posted a Pakistani flag on Instagram. Sarma, a senior figure in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stated authorities are "constantly tracking anti-national posts," though no formal charges or evidence of espionage were disclosed.
Post-Conflict Tensions Escalate
The arrests follow April’s deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan without evidence. This triggered a four-day military conflict—the fiercest since 1999—before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted hostilities on May 10. India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has since intensified operations, arresting a paramilitary officer for "spying for Pakistan" and detaining at least 10 others, including a professor and travel blogger, over alleged Pakistan links.
Controversial Deportations to Bangladesh
Simultaneously, Assam authorities face allegations of forcibly expelling dozens of Bangladeshi migrants. The Times of India reported 49 individuals were "dumped in no-man’s land" at the Bangladesh border between May 27–29. Assam shares a porous 263-km border with Bangladesh, where Modi’s government has long accused "illegal Muslims" of "demographic aggression." Dhaka has not commented, but relations remain strained since Bangladesh’s 2024 uprising toppled its pro-India government, pushing it closer to China and Pakistan.
Regional Fallout
The crackdown reflects India’s hardening stance under Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda. Rights groups warn the "sympathy" arrests criminalize dissent and target minorities, citing prior cases where Muslims faced sedition charges for cheering Pakistan’s cricket team. With Bangladesh deepening ties with Beijing and Islamabad, India’s isolation in South Asia grows—even as it positions itself as a Western security ally.