Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma voiced significant concerns on June 4 regarding alleged foreign interference in the state’s political discussions. He claimed that around 2,000 Facebook accounts originating from Bangladesh and Pakistan have been actively commenting on Assam’s electoral situation, with suspicions that these accounts may be influencing the Congress party’s campaign narrative.
“We have received credible information suggesting that the Assam Congress is being supported digitally by approximately 2,000 Facebook handles from Bangladesh,” CM Sarma said during a press briefing. He noted that about half of these accounts seem to be associated with Bangladesh and Pakistan and have been referred to the Special Branch (SB) for further verification.
The Chief Minister alleged that these dubious accounts have been systematically posting comments-both positive and negative-related to election content in Assam. He expressed concern that this level of digital activity indicates the possibility of coordinated foreign influence, potentially linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which may be interested in affecting the electoral outcome in Assam. He mentioned that more details will be forthcoming on September 10.
Sarma also observed a notable drop in attendance from minority communities at Congress public meetings, particularly in densely populated areas. “In minority-heavy regions like Lahorighat, which has a population exceeding 500,000, attendance was strikingly low-around 2,000 in Morigaon, 1,000 in Jagiroad, and fewer than 5,000 in total across minority zones,” he said, contradicting claims of strong minority support for Congress this election season.
Additionally, he claimed that a call center in Kolkata may be managing some of these digital operations, emphasizing that the situation is under close government scrutiny. “We are not claiming that all 2,000 accounts are foreign, but they have been set up by a specific community on certain dates. The entire situation is being monitored. Assam politics is about to become even more intriguing by September,” he added.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/assam/story/assam-foreign-facebook-profiles-congress-digital-interference-isi-election-1224419-2025-06-04?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2025-06-04 23:20:00
