Foreign social media network backing Assam Congress ahead of 2026 polls, claims Assam CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 20, 2025

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday alleged that over 5,000 foreign social media accounts have become active in support of the Assam Congress ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. He claimed many of these accounts are being operated from 47 Islamic countries and are pushing Islamic fundamentalist and anti-India content.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said a forensic audit was conducted on newly created Facebook accounts. Among 2,092 accounts analyzed, 618 were traced to Bangladesh, 252 to Pakistan, and 264 to Saudi Arabia. Other countries included Afghanistan, Kuwait, France, Egypt, Iraq, and Indonesia. According to Sarma, these accounts show little to no engagement with Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi but heavily follow Assam Congress-related content.

“These accounts are not organic. They’re coordinated, likely through WhatsApp groups, and their activity pattern shows a deliberate campaign. Many promote hardline content and are under government surveillance,” he said.

Sarma also claimed that fundamentalist elements had entered Assam prior to the elections and that these foreign-linked digital operations are part of a broader strategy to influence the political atmosphere. He added that another round of forensic auditing will target accounts activated over the past month.

Shifting the focus to recent communal tensions, the Chief Minister cited incidents of cow remains found near religious sites in districts like Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, and Hojai during Eid-uz-Zuha. He said the state would now strictly implement the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which prohibits the sale or consumption of beef within a five-kilometre radius of Hindu religious institutions.

“Strict SOPs have been issued. There will be no cow slaughter permitted during Eid. People may offer other animals as Qurbani. Both communities must respect this law to maintain peace,” Sarma said.

He further raised concerns over illegal encroachment on VGR/PGR lands and tribal belts, directing Deputy Commissioners to carry out surveys and ensure that only indigenous communities or residents with three generations of history are allowed to remain on such lands.

Sarma concluded by warning of coordinated efforts, both domestic and international, aimed at destabilizing Assam through provocative content and strategic misuse of social media.