India arrests over 80 people for 'sympathising' with Pakistan

More than 80 people have been arrested by Indian police for "sympathising" with Pakistan.

The arrests came a month after the worst conflict between the two neighbours for decades.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said: "81 anti-nationals are now behind bars for sympathising with Pak".

"Our systems are constantly tracking anti-national posts on social media and taking actions," Sarma, who is associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist ruling party, said in a statement.

One of the persons was arrested after he posted a Pakistani flag on his Instagram, AFP reported, quoting Assam police.

The arrests follow a broader social media crackdown that intensified after an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which marked the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in decades.

A four-day military confrontation followed, which was the most severe since the Kargil conflict in 1999, before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has also stepped up actions related to undocumented immigration. The state shares a long and porous border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

Indian media reports, including The Times of India, have alleged that state authorities have detained dozens of suspected Bangladeshi nationals over the past month and transported them to the border. The newspaper reported that at least 49 individuals were pushed into no-man’s land between May 27 and 29.

The Assam government has not officially responded to these claims.

Diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have reportedly deteriorated following a political transition in Dhaka last year. Bangladesh has since strengthened ties with China and Pakistan.