Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has strongly refuted concerns raised over China potentially restricting Brahmaputra river waters to India, calling the claims speculative and misleading. In response to Pakistan’s apparent alarmist statements, Sarma underscored that the bulk of the Brahmaputra’s flow originates within Indian territory, not China.

The Chief Minister took to social media on Monday to address rising anxieties fuelled by a hypothetical question — “What if China stops the Brahmaputra’s water?” According to Sarma, such a scenario is not only baseless but also rooted in fear rather than factual understanding.

India generates majority of Brahmaputra flow

Explaining the hydrological dynamics, Sarma stated that China contributes only about 30 to 35 percent of the river’s total water through glacial melt and sparse rainfall in the Tibetan plateau. In contrast, nearly 65 to 70 percent of the river’s volume is sourced from India’s monsoon rains and tributaries, particularly in the Northeast.

“The Brahmaputra doesn’t shrink at the border. It grows significantly once it enters India,” Sarma noted. Data cited by him suggests that while the river’s flow at the Indo-China border near Tuting ranges between 2,000 and 3,000 cubic metres per second, it swells to over 15,000–20,000 cubic metres per second in Assam during the monsoon.

Flood relief perspective

Sarma further pointed out that even in the unlikely situation of reduced upstream water from China, the development could paradoxically aid India. “Assam suffers severe floods every year. Less water inflow from upstream could actually reduce the displacement of thousands during the monsoon,” he remarked.

He also stressed that there has been no official indication from China about weaponising the river’s flow, calling the narrative an act of speculative fear-mongering.

Pakistan’s reaction and India’s water sovereignty

Taking a sharp dig at Pakistan, Sarma said that a country which has long profited from the Indus Waters Treaty is now showing signs of panic as India asserts its water rights.

“The Brahmaputra is not under the mercy of any single nation. Its force lies in our geography, our monsoon and the strength of our civilization,” he concluded.

The BJP on Friday sharply criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, deeming them inappropriate for a political leader. The party also dismissed as “fake news” a media report alleging that the BJP planned to distribute vermilion (sindoor) to women to commemorate the Modi government’s anniversary.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra condemned Banerjee’s language, particularly her comment questioning if “PM Modi is the husband of every woman.”

Patra stated, “Mamata Banerjee has uttered what should never be said. No elected representative should use such language. Modi is a ‘sewak’ (servant) to all—like a father to some, a brother to others.”

He accused Banerjee of sheltering Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas, claiming, “She has a fondness for them.”

Patra refuted the vermilion distribution report, accusing opposition parties of spreading propaganda to undermine India’s military Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the 22 April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

He argued that the opposition was exploiting the report to trivialise India’s actions against terrorist sites in Pakistan.

On Thursday, Banerjee had responded to Modi’s criticism of her Trinamool Congress (TMC) government.

Citing the vermilion report, she remarked, “Every woman respects her dignity and accepts sindoor only from her husband. Modi, you’re not everyone’s husband—why not offer sindoor to your wife first?”

She accused the Centre of naming the military operation “Operation Sindoor” for electoral gains, stating, “Modi called himself a tea-seller, then a chowkidar, and now he’s selling sindoor. This won’t work.”

Banerjee clarified she was reluctant to engage in such rhetoric but felt compelled to counter the BJP’s narrative.

BJP IT department head Amit Malviya labelled the vermilion report “fake” and accused Banerjee of resorting to baseless trolling for political mileage.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, however, claimed on X that public backlash forced the BJP to disown the campaign, saying, “They’re now calling their cheap plan fake news.”

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has pushed back against criticism from within his own party and online users after he acknowledged the Narendra Modi-led government’s recent handling of terrorism. Tharoor, who is currently part of an Indian delegation visiting Latin America as part of a global outreach campaign post-Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, clarified that his comments were being misrepresented.

The delegation, having concluded a round of meetings in Panama, is now en route to Bogota, Colombia. Posting on social media platform X, Tharoor stated, “After a long and successful day in Panama, I have to wind up at midnight with departure for Bogota in six hours, so I don’t really have time for this.”

Clarification on intent

He asserted that his remarks focused strictly on India’s retaliation to recent terror strikes and not on historical military conflicts. “I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars,” Tharoor clarified.

He pointed out that his comments referenced a pattern of past responses to terror incidents, which, he said, were “restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB.”

Message to critics

Without naming anyone specifically, Tharoor labelled his detractors as “zealots” and “trolls”, emphasizing that he would not be distracted by misinterpretations of his statements. “But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight,” he wrote.

This development comes amid internal party tensions over leaders expressing views that are perceived as sympathetic or appreciative of the central government’s actions.