'Rein in Assam CM Himanta': TMC's Sushmita Dev urges PM Modi amid northeast security concerns

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev on February 15 urged Narendra Modi to “rein in the Chief Minister of Assam”, alleging that actions of the state government were jeopardising internal peace despite repeated references to the Northeast’s strategic importance.

 

Her remarks came a day after the Prime Minister inaugurated an emergency landing facility in Dibrugarh and described the northeastern states as “extremely sensitive and strategic areas”.

 

“It’s extremely important that the Prime Minister of India, when he inaugurated the emergency landing facility yesterday in Dibrugarh, pointed out that the states of Northeast are extremely sensitive and strategic areas,” Dev said. She noted that the region shares international borders with Bangladesh, China and Myanmar, calling the reasons “obvious”.

 

Assam shares borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar, while the wider Northeast has a long boundary with China, making the region strategically significant.

 

However, Dev alleged that internal security concerns stem from within the state. “The Chief Minister of Assam is constantly disturbing the internal peace of Assam,” she said, accusing him of provoking “enmity between two communities”, which she claimed is barred by law under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

 

Without naming specific incidents, the Trinamool Congress leader argued that repeated political interventions risked heightening tensions. She drew a parallel with neighbouring Manipur, stating that internal security there had already been “ruined”.

 

“Do not please pay lip service to the fact that the Northeastern states are sensitive,” Dev said, addressing the Prime Minister. “The people who are disturbing the peace, the people who are threatening internal security are your own people.”

 

She further questioned the effectiveness of infrastructure measures in the absence of political restraint. “Unless you rein them in, making any runway where fighter planes can land will not be able to stop the Northeastern states from being disturbed,” she said.