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    Nearly 2,000 Facebook accounts target Assam Polls, half traced to Pakistan & Bangladesh: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    Synopsis

    Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleges that around 2000 Facebook accounts, potentially operated from Pakistan and Bangladesh, are commenting on Assam elections. He tasks Assam police to investigate these accounts. Sarma claims Pakistan's ISI wants a specific candidate to win. He also mentions pushing back Bangladeshi nationals and questions a Congress MP's connections.

    Himanta-Biswa-sarma--bccl
    Himanta Biswa Sarma
    Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that nearly 2000 Facebook accounts are commenting on Assam elections and at least half of the accounts are being handled from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Assam police (Special branch) are tasked to investigate these accounts.

    Assam is going to assembly polls next year. Sarma said the ISI of Pakistan wants a particular candidate to win.

    Talking to media persons in Guwahati on Wednesday said, “The numbers of fictitious accounts will increase as elections draw near, ISI wants a particular candidate to win and details I will give on September 10. Around 2000 Facebook accounts have penetrated.”

    He said, “If one goes through the comments, these are not from our people. A call centre is set up in Kolkata, 2000 accounts belonging to a particular community have sprung up in a day. As these things are under my observation and by September Assam politics will be interesting and I will be able to spell out more things.”

    The chief minister said that recently several Bangladeshi nationals were pushed back. “We were able to do this as we know the heart of Assamese people.”

    Sarma recently raised concerns over the inclusion of a Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi from Assam in the proposed all-party delegations to key partner countries.

    Sarma had alleged that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi's wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi has "good relations" with the Pakistan Army.

    Sarma claimed that Colburn had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan, and Pakistan Army officials had accompanied her in the neighbouring country.

    Gaurav after taking over as the Pradesh Congress Committee president travelled to Upper Assam.

    Sarma said, “ In Rupohi not even 5000 people came out and in Jagiroad just 1000 people came, there is 5 lakh Muslim minority in Laharighat. Even Muslim minorities are not with Congress.


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