GUWAHATI, Assam — Communal tension flared in Guwahati after raw pork was deliberately thrown into the premises of an Eidgah mosque late Sunday night. The mosque, located on Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Path in Puran Basti, Panjabari, falls under the jurisdiction of Dispur Police Station .
The meat—wrapped in a transparent polythene bag—was discovered early Monday morning by the Imam, who had arrived for the Azaan. CCTV footage shows a man wearing a blue shirt and helmet arriving on a two-wheeler, tossing the packet into the mosque grounds before fleeing .
Along with the meat was a handwritten note in Assamese:
“Miya child, you got me pregnant. Now you eat pork.”
The note was signed “Plabita Das” and included a mobile number, further inflaming the incident.
The word “Miya,” commonly used pejoratively to describe the Bengali-origin Muslim community in Assam, has a history of being employed to stigmatize and marginalize .
Police quickly launched an investigation, analyzing CCTV footage and tracing the mobile number. Mridupawan Pathak from Barpeta was arrested by Dispur Police for his suspected involvement .
Following his arrest, authorities examined mobile phone records and confirmed it was a personal dispute related to a failed romantic relationship—not driven by communal animosity, according to the Sentinel Assam .
The incident has provoked public outrage, with community members calling for rapid legal action and tighter security at religious sites. The state government has classified the case as “highly sensitive” and pledged to maintain peace and deter unrest .
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the incident, labelling the act “unacceptable.” He also drew a parallel to an earlier incident of beef placed near a Hindu temple, defending stronger interfaith respect and condemning similar provocations—though human rights groups have raised concerns over his previously issued “shoot-at‑sight” order during a Dhubri escalation in June .
This episode follows a pattern of recent communal provocations in Assam. In June, tensions erupted when alleged cow meat was found near a Hanuman temple in Dhubri, prompting a heavy-handed response from authorities .
With the suspect in custody and motives clarified by police, authorities continue to emphasize restraint, urging communities to remain calm while investigations proceed.
