Based on CCTV evidence, police have arrested one Mridupawan Pathak from Barpeta; authorities have urged the communities to remain calm
GUWAHATI – Tension gripped the Assam city of Guwahati after an unidentified person allegedly threw raw pork into the premises of an Eidgah mosque in the Panjabari area on Sunday night.
The mosque is located on Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Path in Puran Basti under the jurisdiction of Dispur Police Station.
A polythene-wrapped packet containing raw pork was found by the imam of the mosque on Monday when he arrived there for the morning (Fajr) prayer.
CCTV footage showed a man in a blue shirt and wearing a helmet arriving on a two-wheeler and throwing the packet into the mosque compound. Soon after, he was seen fleeing the scene. Inside the transparent packet was not only raw pork, but also a handwritten note in Assamese, which read: “Miya child, you got me pregnant. Now you eat pork,” and was signed “Plabita Das.” The packet also contained a paper with a mobile number scribbled on it.
The term “Miya” is commonly used to describe the Bengali-origin Muslim community in Assam. But the word has often taken on a derogatory tone and is used to stereotype and marginalise members of the community. The note in the packet has further inflamed tensions.
Dispur Police have launched an investigation and, based on CCTV evidence, arrested one Mridupawan Pathak from Barpeta. Authorities are also probing the mobile number mentioned in the note.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage among residents and community leaders, who are demanding immediate action and increased protection at religious sites. Police have classified the case as “highly sensitive” and assured the public that efforts were underway to prevent any communal escalation.
Reacting to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the act, stating, “When a few tried to weaponise beef by placing it near temples to provoke Hindus, we must also ask—what happens if pork is placed in mosques to provoke Muslims? So, neither should we place beef, nor pork, near places of worship.”
Sarma called the pork-throwing incident “unacceptable” and promised strict action against those involved.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In June, the state’s Dhubri district witnessed communal unrest after suspected cow meat was found near a Hanuman temple, prompting strong reactions. The chief minister had then issued a controversial “shoot-at-sight” order, drawing criticism from human rights groups over its severity and the risk of misuse.
Authorities in Guwahati, however, have urged the communities to remain calm while the investigation continues.
