Guwahati, July 26: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Assam has come out strongly against the Assam government’s recent move to roll out a new arms license scheme, alleging that it poses a serious threat to public safety and constitutional governance. The party accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of attempting to “create a Manipur-like situation” by arming civilians and called for immediate Presidential intervention in the state until the 2026 Assembly elections.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, AAP Assam president (in charge) Bhaban Choudhury described the state government’s decision as a “grave violation” of Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution and the Arms Act of 1959. He warned that distributing weapons to civilians under the pretext of safeguarding against illegal infiltration risks inflaming communal tensions and destabilising Assam’s already delicate ethnic and social balance.
“At a time when the Chief Minister also serves as Home Minister, this decision signals a collapse of constitutional responsibility,” said Choudhury. “Instead of strengthening law enforcement, the government is handing over lethal weapons and pushing the state toward potential chaos,” he said.
AAP leaders condemned the lack of legislative approval for the policy, stating that no formal bill has been introduced or passed in the Assam Legislative Assembly. They called the move “legally insufficient, entirely unconstitutional, and dangerously provocative.”
Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, AAP state vice president Anurupa Dekaraja, accompanied by leaders Jayanta Saikia and Jitu Deka, demanded that the state government clarify the definition of “indigenous” — a key criterion for eligibility under the proposed arms license scheme.
“If the government had ever properly defined ‘indigenous’ as promised in the Assam Accord, this debate wouldn’t exist today,” Dekaraja said. “Now they are offering arms licenses without defining who qualifies — it’s a recipe for disorder.”
The party further accused the BJP-led regime of deliberately inciting unrest to mask its failures in protecting land, identity, and cultural heritage. “Weaponising civilians is not security—it’s sabotage,” said Choudhury.
Calling the scheme “suicidal and divisive,” AAP urged its immediate withdrawal. The party’s most forceful demand was the imposition of Presidential Rule in Assam, citing a “complete breakdown of constitutional governance” and the state government’s inability to uphold law and order.
The proposed arms license scheme has sparked sharp political backlash in Assam, with opposition voices warning of unintended consequences in a state marked by diverse ethnicities and past communal flashpoints.
