Assam Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia has strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Anil Bania, who was earlier arrested for allegedly posting pro-Pakistan content related to the Pahalgam terror attack, formally joined the ruling party on November 26. Saikia said the incident raises serious questions about the BJP’s political stand and the clarity of its own leadership.
The matter came to light when Bania, who had been arrested in Biswanath by Assam Police a few months ago for allegedly sharing content that appeared to support Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, was seen being welcomed into the BJP by the party’s state president, Dilip Saikia. Photographs and videos of the induction event quickly circulated, drawing sharp reactions from several political corners.
Reacting to the development, Debabrata Saikia said such actions show “there should be a limit to shamelessness.” He stated that the BJP’s move exposes “double standards within the ruling party,” especially when the same person was earlier projected as someone working against national interests. 
Saikia recalled that a Facebook post had recently claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself had ordered the arrest of Anil Bania for allegedly supporting Pakistan in the context of the terror attack. “The surprising part,” Saikia said, “is that this same person has now been welcomed into the BJP with pride, and the function was led by none other than their state president.”
The Leader of Opposition said the incident shows that the BJP’s main focus is not ideology but the pursuit of power. According to him, the ruling party uses emotions, controversies, and propaganda to influence people, but their actions reveal a different reality. “If the BJP truly believed what they said earlier, would they have honoured someone whom their own ecosystem once labelled as an anti-national?” Saikia asked.
He also raised the possibility of internal tension within the BJP. “One leader calls him anti-national, and another welcomes him into the party with pride. What does this mean? Is there confusion inside the BJP? Or is this a result of a rivalry between Dilip Saikia and the Chief Minister?” he questioned.
Saikia added that the situation is both “laughable and unfortunate,” saying that such contradictions damage the credibility of the ruling party and mislead the public. He said people deserve clarity, not shifting narratives based on convenience.
