Himanta Biswa Sarma: Delhi Protest Would Face Harsher Response in Assam

New Delhi, October 16, 2026 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has commented on the police response to the recent protests in Delhi, distinguishing between demonstrations led by young people and those driven by political objectives. He maintained that protests over political demands should be treated differently from youth-led agitations, adding that attempts to target institutions invite scrutiny and a political response. Referring to an earlier issue involving young people and a medical matter, Sarma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had respected their wishes and taken the necessary steps in response. However, he described the other protest in Delhi as purely political, arguing that political demonstrations would naturally receive a political response. Sarma rejected the portrayal of the Delhi demonstration as a youth-led agitation, asserting that it involved political figures pursuing a political cause, including regime change. He added that if protesters attempted to attack institutions, others would also have the right to question their actions. Commenting on how such demonstrations would be handled in his home state, Sarma said he would have adopted a stricter approach in Assam. “If it had been Assam, I would have been more harsh. What we have seen in Delhi it is nothing. If it had been in my state for this kind of agitation, I would have been more harsh,” he said. Sarma's remarks underline his position that protests driven by political demands should be viewed differently from youth-led movements. His comments also highlight the contrast he draws between the handling of demonstrations in Delhi and the approach he says he would take in Assam.