Amid escalating political rhetoric over Assam’s citizenship debate, noted human rights activist and retired IAS officer Harsh Mander has issued a powerful response to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s threat of imprisonment, stating he is proud of his work for justice and is unafraid of legal action.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mander said: “Assam CM said in Assembly he would put me in jail for my work for justice for people of contested citizenship.
I'm proud of our efforts for the release of those locked indefinitely in inhuman conditions in detention centres.
If this is a crime, Mr CM, by all means, take action against me.”
His comments came just a day after the Assam CM, while addressing the Assembly on June 10, accused Mander of defending “illegal infiltrators” and sabotaging the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process. The CM alleged Mander played a “big role in ruining the NRC” and linked him to the now-defunct National Advisory Council (NAC) headed by Sonia Gandhi.
The Chief Minister later escalated his rhetoric on social media, writing: “Be it their State President, their supporter Harsh Mandar or ‘lawyers’ who studied in fancy American schools — there is a complete pro-Pakistan lobby in Assam Congress today.”
He also outlined the current situation, revealing that 35 Bangladeshi nationals are ready to be deported but are being held back due to ongoing flood conditions. “The issue is more complex than just pushbacks,” he said. “We must stop the influx and create a fear psychosis that illegal infiltration will be dealt with firmly, as done in Arunachal Pradesh.”
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