Guwahati, June 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday raised alarm over an “unprecedented surge” in foreign-based social media activity favouring the Assam Congress, calling it a matter of national security concern.
Sarma alleged that more than 5,000 social media accounts, largely operated from Islamic countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, have recently gone active to promote a single Assam Congress leader and the party’s state unit.
“These accounts originate from 47 countries but show unusually concentrated interest in only one state Congress leader and the Assam unit of the party,” Sarma said, without naming the individual. However, political circles widely believe he was referring to Gaurav Gogoi, who took charge as President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) in late May.
The Chief Minister stated that the pattern of engagement is highly unusual. “These foreign accounts don’t interact with posts from Rahul Gandhi or the official INC pages. Their focus is sharply limited,” he noted.
Sarma further alleged that the accounts are not merely political in nature but are actively sharing Islamic fundamentalist content, including pro-Palestine narratives, support for Iran, and posts backing Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Prof Md Yunus.
“This is the first time we are witnessing such a scale of foreign digital intrusion in Assam’s political ecosystem—especially ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections,” Sarma warned.
Calling the developments “serious and disturbing,” the Chief Minister confirmed that the matter has been escalated to the central government and flagged under national security and electoral interference protocols.
“The nature and coordination of these accounts point towards a larger geopolitical agenda with religious undertones, aimed at influencing Assam’s internal politics,” he said, hinting at the possibility of cybersecurity or intelligence investigations into the digital activity.
The Assam Congress has yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
