Himanta Biswa Sarma: No fundamentalists from Kerala, Mumbai, or Delhi will find shelter in Assam

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued a stern warning to outsiders attempting to intervene in the state’s sensitive issues, asserting that “the toolkit of social activists like Harsh Mander during the NRC will not work this time.”

Addressing a press conference, CM Sarma said that individuals from various parts of India have been travelling to Assam with the agenda of protecting foreign infiltrators. “Some personalities from outside Assam have come with an agenda to protect foreign infiltrators. I am keeping a close watch on these people,” he said.

He specifically mentioned the recent arrival of Irfan Ali, an engineer, and Neha Darban, an advocate at the Mumbai High Court, as well as several visitors from Kerala. “Even during the NRC period, these people came and disrupted the process. Back then, the government did not keep a close watch. Today, we are monitoring every move. If anyone crosses the line, they will be arrested,” he warned.

The CM emphasised that no “fundamentalist individuals” from Kerala, Mumbai, Delhi, or any other state will be allowed to operate freely in Assam. He accused such forces of meddling in local affairs and reiterated that anyone engaging in “excess politics” would face strict legal action.

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On the National Register of Citizens (NRC) issue, Sarma alleged that deliberate manipulation took place during the updating process. “These people created false records by taking advantage of the same names of individuals and entering the names of those who did not deserve to be on the list,” he said. He linked some of these practices to the ideas of social activist Harsh Mander. According to him, the state government has compiled evidence of anomalies over the past five years and is preparing to submit findings to the Supreme Court.

Sarma also mentioned that a BBC team had recently visited Uriamghat, the site of a large eviction drive. He said the team was not allowed into forest areas without prior permission. “We are taking actions bravely this time, and we will not allow any individual or group to take advantage of these issues,” he added.

Sarma’s remarks underline the Assam government’s zero-tolerance approach toward external interference in matters related to citizenship verification and other state-sensitive operations.