‘Sorry To Spoil Udta Assam Party’: CM Himanta Sarma Tells ‘Local Pablo Escobars’, Manipur CM La

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday took to X to share that the state police had destroyed 170 bighas (over 56 acres) of poppy farming worth more than Rs 27 crore in Goalpara district in January. Reacting to this, his Manipur counterpart N Biren Singh expressed “deep appreciation” for the move and said that the two states stand together in working to ensure that the Northeast is “free from the shadow of drugs”.

The Assam CM had also shared a video showing a tractor razing the poppy fields amid the presence of Goalpara Police personnel. He asked the “local Pablo Escobars” for not trying to cultivate the drug again and also apologised for spoiling their planned “Udta Assam party”.

“Dear Local Pablo Escobars, Sorry to spoil your planned Udta Assam party! Because @Goalpara_Police destroyed 170 Bighas of poppy cultivation in the Char areas worth Rs 27.20 crore in January. So next time you think of drugs, think of @assampolice first. #AssamAgainstDrugs,” Sarma said in a post on X.

He mentioned Pablo Escobar as he referred to the Columbian drug lord and leader of the Medellin cartel, which once controlled 80 percent of the international cocaine trade. While “Udta Assam” was a reference to the 2016 Bollywood movie ‘Udta Punjab’, which was based on the state’s drug addiction issue.

‘We Stand Together To Free Northeast From Drugs’

Manipur CM Biren Singh took to X to showcase his support and appreciation for the crackdown on drugs by the Assam Police, stressing that the states stand together to “free Northeast from the shadow of drugs”.

“My deep appreciation for the decisive measures taken in Assam, under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ji in addressing the challenges posed by cultivation of poppy. We stand together and remain resolute in our shared goal of building a future where every youth of the NE [northeast] is protected, nurtured, and given the opportunity to thrive free from the shadow of drugs,” Singh said in the post.

My deep appreciation for the decisive measures taken in Assam, under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri @himantabiswa ji, in addressing the challenges posed by the cultivation of poppy.

We stand together and remain resolute in our shared goal of building a future… https://t.co/G3Xl4hYQpF

— N. Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) February 2, 2025

The Manipur CM said that more than 25 acres of illegal poppy plantations were destroyed in Tengnoupal subdivision’s Khudei Khullen hill range and an FIR was also filed today.