India arrests 81 for 'sympathising' with Pakistan
Pakistan
The arrests took place in Assam
(Web Desk) - Indian police have arrested scores of people for “sympathising” with Pakistan, a top government official said Sunday.
The arrests took place in the northeastern state of Assam, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said “81 anti-nationals are now behind bars for sympathising with Pak.”
Sarma, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, said in a statement “Our systems are constantly tracking ‘anti-national’ posts on social media and taking actions.”
One of the persons was arrested after he posted a Pakistani flag on his Instagram, Assam police told AFP.
No further details about other arrests were given.
There has been a wider clampdown on social media after an attack on April 22 in India-occupied Kashmir.
India’s counter-terrorism agency last month arrested a paramilitary police officer for allegedly spying for Pakistan, while authorities have arrested at least 10 other people on espionage charges in May, according to local media.
Sarma is also pushing efforts to stem the contentious issue of illegal immigration.
Assam shares a long and porous border with neighboring Muslim-majority Bangladesh.
Indian media have reported that Assam’s government has allegedly rounded up dozens of alleged Bangladeshis in the past month and taken them to the frontier to cross.
The Assam government has not commented on the reports.
