Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister Assam, has said that militant groups like ULFA(I) are using social media platforms such as Facebook, Messenger and Twitter to publicise their ideology.

“Through these social media platforms, the terror groups are trying to attract the youths and they have been able to influence many to join them through the social media.” Sarma said

The Social Media Monitoring cell of the Special Branch of Assam Police has detected 990 such posts during 2021-22, he told the Assembly.

“For those posts, 100 cases have been registered in different districts and 85 people arrested. Also, steps have been taken for psychological counselling of 581 youths in front of their parents.” the chief minister said. He added that around 400 posts were removed from social media platforms.

Sarma said that the government is considering a detailed study on this issue by a reputed social research institute.

In the written reply to a query by Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia, the CM said the state government has received information from various sources that while 1,561 youths have joined different insurgent groups since the BJP-led government came to power in the state in 2016, 7,935 insurgents have returned to the mainstream.