Assam CM Sarma slams 'Aman Ki Asha' advocates, says peace calls with Pakistan a betrayal of India

Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 5 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday issued a strong critique of advocates of "Aman Ki Asha" in India, highlighting the stark contrast in how pro-India voices are treated in Pakistan compared to the tolerance for pro-peace sentiments with Pakistan in India.
In a detailed post on the social media platform X, Sarma outlined alleged measures taken by Pakistani authorities to suppress pro-India sentiments, urging Indians to reconsider romanticised notions of peace with the neighbouring country.
He described romanticising Pakistan while enjoying Indian freedoms as "ignorance at best, hypocrisy at worst -- and a betrayal of your own motherland."
Addressing the preachers of "Aman Ki Asha", Sarma stated, "To those in India who continue to preach 'Aman ki Asha' without grasping the ground reality - understand this: In Pakistan, talking about peace with India is treated as a crime. In India, talking about peace with Pakistan is tolerated, debated, even promoted on mainstream platforms."
"Romanticising Pakistan while enjoying Indian freedom is not idealism --It is ignorance at best, hypocrisy at worst -- and a betrayal of your own motherland," the Assam Chief Minister said.
Sarma alleged that Pakistan's intelligence agencies, particularly the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), engage in extensive surveillance and profiling of individuals expressing pro-India views, including students, activists, and journalists, who are placed on a watchlist.
He claimed that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) actively censors content deemed favourable to India, including hashtags promoting peace or dialogue, which are removed without explanation.
"Every post, tweet, or article with pro-India sentiment is tracked by Pakistan's intelligence agencies, especially the ISI. Students, activists, and journalists are routinely placed on watchlists...The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) actively blocks or removes content deemed favourable to India. Even hashtags promoting peace or dialogue are erased without explanation," the post read.
The Chief Minister further accused Pakistan of employing legal intimidation under its cybercrime law, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), to arrest individuals on vague charges such as "anti-state" or "glorifying the enemy" for expressing pro-India sentiments. He alleged that citizens face arrests, torture, and imprisonment without trial for actions as innocuous as writing poems or balanced articles advocating peace.
Sarma also pointed to forced disappearances, particularly among Baloch, Pashtun, and Sindhi activists, who he claimed vanish without a trace for supporting India or challenging Pakistan's military narrative.
"Under Pakistan's draconian cybercrime law (PECA), people are arrested for expressing anything seen as 'pro-India'. Vague charges like "anti-state" and "glorifying the enemy" are used to silence voices of reason... Citizens have been picked up by intelligence agencies, tortured, and jailed without trial often for something as harmless as a poem, a peace appeal, or a balanced article...Dozens -- especially Baloch, Pashtun, and Sindhi activists -- have vanished without a trace for expressing support for India or challenging Pakistan's military narrative. Families wait for years, with no answers and no justice," he stated in the post.
He added that those advocating peace face social boycotts, are branded as traitors, and receive threats from extremist elements.
The remarks come amid heightened India-Pakistan tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.
Sarma's comments align with his recent actions, including the arrest of 36 individuals in Assam till Thursday for alleged pro-Pakistan remarks. (ANI)