16 arrested in Assam for making 'seditious comments' on Pahalgam attack

NEW DELHI: At least 16 people have been taken into custody across Assam for allegedly making "seditious comments" after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.

"Total 16 arrests have been made till now against rogue elements," the Assam CM wrote on X.


As of Saturday evening, the number of arrests stood at 14, according to an earlier update from the chief minister.

Among those detained is Aminul Islam, an opposition MLA from the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

Sarma on Sunday had indicated that authorities could invoke provisions of the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against those arrested if necessary.

"There are no similarities between Bharat and Pakistan. The two countries are enemy nations and we must remain like that," Sarma told news agency PTI.

The Pahalgam attack, which took place on Tuesday at Baisaran — a tourist spot in south Kashmir — claimed the lives of at least 26 people, most of whom were tourists.

Earlier, the Assam CM responded strongly to Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s anti-India statements, declaring that India will "hunt down terror" following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

Responding to Bhutto Zardari's comments after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Sarma referenced a video clip pointing to Pakistan's violent history, which cost Bilawal his grandfather and mother.

"Pakistan has a long and bloody history of betrayal — it claimed the lives of Bilawal Bhutto’s grandfather and mother. It is tragic that an unworthy son today chooses to dishonor their sacrifice. I extend my deepest condolences to him in advance, for the path he has chosen will only bring disgrace," Sarma wrote in a post on X.

He added, "Let it be absolutely clear — no one can deter India from taking decisive action to safeguard its honour and people." Bilawal's family history includes his mother, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated, and his grandfather, former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was executed by Pakistani authorities.

After the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suspended the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with immediate effect.

India officially notified Pakistan of the immediate suspension of the treaty, citing Pakistan's violations of the agreement.

India's Secretary of Water Resources, Debashree Mukherjee, informed her Pakistani counterpart, Syed Ali Murtaza, that Pakistan’s ongoing cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir violates India’s rights under the treaty. The treaty shall remain so until Pakistan "credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism".