Sonowal files FIR against fake letter circulating online

Guwahati: Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday lodged an FIR at Parliament Street police station in New Delhi against a forged letter circulating on social media that falsely claimed to be from him and called for “course correction” ahead of the Assam assembly elections.The letter, purportedly issued on Sonowal’s official letterhead and bearing a fake signature, was addressed to the BJP’s national president. It referred to the “ground situation” in Assam and urged strategic changes before the polls.Sonowal, a former chief minister of Assam, categorically denied the document, calling it “completely fake and fabricated”.In a post on X, Sonowal said, “It has come to my notice that a forged letter bearing the official letterhead and fake signature of Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is being circulated by miscreants with malafide intent.”He described it as “a serious criminal offence involving forgery, impersonation, and misuse of official government identity, apparently aimed at spreading misinformation and discrediting a constitutional authority” and added that an FIR has been lodged in this matter.The FIR filed by Sonowal’s assistant private secretary Mukul Chandra Lahkar, alleges that the forged letter was drafted with “malafide intent for spreading blatant falsehood towards nefarious political ends” and to create disharmony in an election-bound state. It also notes that the minister’s reputation has been deliberately targeted.Law enforcement agencies have been asked to investigate the matter on priority and take strict legal action against those responsible. The FIR has been handed over to sub-inspector Mohit Kumar for investigation.Sonowal urged the public and media not to rely on or circulate such fraudulent material, stressing that information should be verified only through official sources. His office said the forged document was designed to mislead voters and tarnish his image at a critical juncture as Assam prepares for elections.The BJP has dismissed the letter as a malicious attempt to sow confusion and undermine its campaign.