Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that some strange people from different parts of the country are found to have been visiting Assam.Warning that his government would not tolerate such elements indulging in fundamentalist activities or politics on sensitive issues, Assam chief minister told reporters that such elements who were identified to be from Mumbai and Kerala may be arrested if they “cross limits”.Mr Sarma said, “We are keeping a close watch on them.They were also present during the NRC update and disrupted the process. Earlier, the government paid little attention, but now we are monitoring each visitor, and anyone violating the laws will face arrest.”The chief minister claimed that during the NRC update exercise, some individuals created false records by adding names of people who did not qualify.He alleged that “false kins” were generated for existing residents due to the influence of certain individuals, including social activist Harsh Mander. “These issues have come to light now. Over the past five years, we have identified many such anomalies and are ready to submit them to the Supreme Court,” he said.Informing that a team of BBC, which visited Uriamghat where eviction drives were carried out, was not allowed to enter forest areas bordering Nagaland, the chief minister said, “We had made it absolutely clear that to enter the forest, one would need prior permission. We are taking actions bravely this time, and we will not allow any individual or group to take advantage of these issues.”Meanwhile, the crime branch of Guwahati police has summoned senior journalists Siddharth Varadarajan and Karan Thapar in connection with a case registered on sedition charges.The notice, served to the two journalists, working with digital media platform The Wire, said, “It is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain the facts and circumstances from you, in relation to the present investigation. Failure to attend/comply with the terms of this notice can render you liable for arrest.”The summonses were issued by Crime Branch Inspector Soumarjyoti Ray, referring to FIR (No.: 03/2025) registered at the Crime Branch under sections 152, 196, 197(1)(D)/3(6), 353, 45, and 61 of the BNS.Section 152 of BNS addresses acts endangering the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. It effectively replaced Section 124A of the IPC, which was put on hold by the Supreme Court in May 2022.
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