‘Fake Ahom, BJP Tool’: Lachit Sena Tears Into Shrinkhal Chaliha

The Lachit Sena has launched a blistering attack on Shrinkhal Chaliha, accusing him of politically exploiting the name of Ahom war hero Bir Lachit Borphukan and branding him a “BJP agent” and an “imposter” within the Ahom community

In a scathing press conference held on Wednesday, Commander-in-Chief of the Lachit Sena, Amar Baruah, denounced Chaliha in uncompromising terms, questioning both his ethnic identity and political intentions.

“Who is Shrinkhal?” Baruah thundered. “He is not even an Ahom. He does not carry our blood, nor does he understand our heritage. Yet he shamelessly invokes the name of Bir Lachit Borphukan to further his personal and political agenda. He is nothing more than a money-hungry agent of the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.”

Baruah accused Chaliha of actively insulting the Ahom community and disturbing the peace in Upper Assam’s Sivasagar region—considered the historical heartland of the Ahom dynasty. “This man wants to dismantle the harmony that has held our people together for centuries. And he’s doing it under the banner of Lachit Borphukan. That is unforgivable,” he said.

The press conference marked the most forceful pushback yet from the Lachit Sena against Chaliha, who has recently begun presenting himself as a torchbearer of Assamese and Ahom identity under the name “Veer Lachit Sena.”

Baruah alleged that Chaliha has neither cultural nor spiritual connection to the Ahom heritage he claims to defend. “He throws around sacred terms like 'Hengdang' as if they’re toys, without understanding their historical weight. A non-Ahom like Shrinkhal Chaliha has no right to invoke such symbols,” he stated.

Dismissing Chaliha as a political opportunist, Baruah went on to say: “He has used the name of Lachit Borphukan as an ATM, coming to our land as a 'toka ghotar ahila'—a cash collector—under the guise of protecting Assamese pride.”

In one of the most explosive allegations of the press briefing, Baruah referenced Chaliha’s lineage to former Assam Chief Minister Bimala Prasad Chaliha. “It was his grandfather who first opened the doors for Miyas to settle in Assam and gain political power. And now his grandson wants to lead a movement against illegal immigrants? It’s laughable,” Baruah declared. “This is the same bloodline that enabled the very problem he now claims to fight.”

The Lachit Sena also condemned Chaliha’s recent communal remarks, particularly his controversial claim that people bearing surnames like “Hussain” or “Ali” are automatically of Bangladeshi origin. Baruah challenged him to apply the same standards to the CM’s inner circle.

“If Shrinkhal has the courage, let him demand the removal of every employee with those surnames from the news channel owned by the Chief Minister’s wife. Why doesn’t he speak about them? Because he is serving his masters,” Baruah said.

The Lachit Sena’s fiery stance appears to be a culmination of rising tensions within the broader Assamese nationalist discourse, with groups accusing individuals of hijacking cultural icons for personal or political gain.

“This cannot continue,” Baruah said. “Ahoms across Assam must wake up. Shrinkhal Chaliha has insulted our history, our community, and our symbols. He must face social and political consequences. This is a call for accountability.”

Ending his address, the Lachit Sena chief made the group’s position unmistakably clear: “Shrinkhal is not one of us. He does not speak for us. And he will not build his political career on the legacy of our warrior general.”

ALSO READ: KMSS Slams Shrinkhal Chaliha, Labels Him a "Government’s Pet Tiger"