State to tighten enforcement of beef ban near religious sites; no cow slaughter allowed during Eid
Guwahati, June 20: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Friday that more than 5,000 foreign social media accounts, mainly based in 47 Islamic countries, have become suddenly active in support of the Assam Congress. He alleged that many of these accounts are linked to Islamic fundamentalist content and anti-India narratives.
Speaking at a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said the state government conducted a forensic audit of newly created Facebook accounts. Of the 2,092 accounts studied, 618 were traced to Bangladesh, 252 to Pakistan, and 264 to Saudi Arabia. Other accounts originated from countries including Afghanistan, Kuwait, France, Egypt, Iraq, and Indonesia. The Chief Minister stated that many of these accounts do not follow Congress leader Rahul Gandhi but are focused solely on Assam-related content related to the Congress party.
“These accounts post fundamentalist and anti-India content. We suspect coordination through WhatsApp groups, given the time zone differences,” Sarma said. “Some of them even like my posts, but their primary agenda is to boost Assam Congress activity.”
The Chief Minister stated that such accounts are under surveillance and suggested that fundamentalist elements had entered Assam prior to the state elections. He announced that a fresh forensic audit will be launched on accounts created in the last month, allegedly for clandestine political influence.
Sarma also addressed recent incidents involving the discovery of cow remains near religious institutions in several districts following Eid-uz-Zuha. Citing the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021—which prohibits sale and consumption of beef within a five-kilometre radius of Hindu religious sites—he criticized local authorities for failing to enforce the law.
“Since Eid, there have been peace disruptions in Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Goalpara, and Hojai. We are now issuing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all district administrations to strictly implement the Act. There will be no cow sacrifice during Eid. Other animals can be offered,” he said. “If both Hindus and Muslims follow this law sincerely, such disturbances will not recur.”
The Chief Minister further said that land encroachment in VGR and PGR lands, as well as in tribal belts and blocks, is also a matter of concern. He directed all Deputy Commissioners to conduct surveys to ensure that only indigenous communities or those with at least three generations of residence are allowed to stay in such areas.
Sarma concluded by warning that there are organized efforts, both inside and outside the state, to disturb peace in Assam through the misuse of social media and religious provocations.
