Himanta sent him to jail in April. BJP chief welcomes him to party now

Anil Bania, earlier arrested by Assam Police in Biswanath for allegedly sharing pro-Pakistan content linked to the Pahalgam incident, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on November 26, marking a significant political shift.

Bania was arrested by Behali Police in Biswanath district during a crackdown on individuals accused of promoting anti-national messages on social media on April 25. At that time, he served as the Central Assistant Secretary of the Chhatra Mukti Sangram Samiti. 

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had once mentioned in his official X handle of the arrests made in Assam against those who promoted anti-national sentiments on their social media platforms. In one such crackdown, Anil Bania's arrest was mentioned by Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 25, "As part of its intensified crackdown on individuals promoting anti-national sentiments, the 
@assampolice
 has made two additional arrests:
•Barpeta: Md. Jarif Ali (25), also known as Sharif Sing, 
•Biswanath: Anil Bania, District Secretary of the Satra Mukti Sangram Parishad".

His social media handles contained several posts making distasteful remarks against the Chief Minister of Assam, in one of which he even said the Assam CM was born on the day when the entire country and the world tell lies. “The Chief Minister of Assam was born on a day meant for telling lies — will he ever speak the truth in his life to the people?” wrote Anil Bania in one of his posts on Facebook. 

His arrest was publicly acknowledged by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who highlighted efforts to curb anti-national sentiments across the state.

On November 26, he officially joined the BJP, where he was received by state BJP president Dilip Saikia and Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah. Now seen wearing saffron attire, Bania’s political realignment reflects a dramatic turnaround from his previous affiliations and statements.