Termed anti-national by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Anil Bania now joins BJP

Guwahati: In a development that has ignited a debate across Assam, Anil Bania, a student leader arrested earlier this year on charges of sedition for allegedly supporting Pakistan in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, has joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Bania, a Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti leader, was detained by Biswanath district police in April following the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam valley, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Officials and the government accused him of posting anti-government remarks on social media, including content perceived as defending Pakistan and questioning the official narrative of the assault, which India attributed to Pakistan-backed militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba proxy group, The Resistance Front.

The arrest, part of a broader crackdown in Assam that saw over 50 individuals detained for similar "pro-Pakistan" online posts, was hailed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma as a stand against "traitors defending Pakistan on Indian soil."

Bania was booked under sedition laws and slapped with the National Security Act (NSA), drawing sharp criticism from rights groups over curbs on free speech amid heightened national tensions.

Prominent BJP leaders Dilip Saikia and Jayanta Malla Baruah personally welcomed Bania into the party fold during a ceremony in Biswanath, draping him in the signature saffron scarf and praising his "reformed outlook." Saikia described the induction as a "second chance for a wayward youth," while Baruah emphasised the BJP's inclusive ideology.

The move has sparked widespread controversy, with opposition parties and activists labelling it hypocritical. Congress spokesperson Lohit Debnath called it "a blatant betrayal of public trust," accusing the BJP of harbouring those it had once branded as anti-national. KMSS chief Akhil Gogoi, Bania's former mentor, expressed shock, stating, "This is the ultimate irony – a man jailed for sedition under the BJP's watch now wears their colours."

Social media erupted with memes dubbing the BJP a "washing machine" that "cleanses" accused individuals upon joining. Hashtags like #BJPWashingMachine and #AnilBaniaControversy trended regionally, amplifying calls for accountability.

Also Read: Trump Orders Review of All Afghan Immigrants After Asylum-Seeker Shoots Two National Guard Troops Near White House