The Congress on Tuesday criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma even as police arrived at party spokesman Pawan Khera’s residence in Delhi.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the police actions as a “witch hunt”, claiming that they did not follow due process. This comes amid a political row after Khaira alleged that Assam CM’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds three passports – from India, UAE and Egypt – and owns undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai and a company in Wyoming, USA. Renicke then filed a criminal defamation suit against Khaira.
On the arrival of police officials at Khera’s house in Nizamuddin East, Ramesh said it showed that the Assam Chief Minister was “upset, desperate and agitated”. He claimed that Himanta was “facing imminent defeat”.
“Deploying an entire army of police officials to arrest my colleague Pawan Khera for asking basic questions in the interest of public interest proves that the Assam Chief Minister is disturbed, desperate and disturbed,” Ramesh said in his X post.
He added: “This is not due process, but instead a witch hunt, where the bully uses the apparatus of state to muzzle and silence the voice of dissent that exposes his many dark deeds. Those who are intimidated are the ones who are afraid and have a lot to hide.”
Read also | Himanta issues ‘life imprisonment’ warning to Kunj’s Keira over claims over wife’s ‘three passports’
Kunj claims that the Assam CM was “shaken” and seeks to respond to Khera’s accusations
Meanwhile, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate claimed that Assam President Himanta was “disturbed”, while asking him to respond to the accusations leveled by Khaira.
“Who is your police (Assam Police) trying to intimidate in Delhi? Everyone knows how you have plundered the people of Assam. The kind of language you are using and sending your police, you are proving that you are upset…,” Shrinath told news agency ANI.
In a post on her official X account, Shrinat said: “Why don’t you respond to the accusations made by @Pawankhera instead of resorting to insults and intimidation? Stop your dramas, because you can no longer hide your corruption.”
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood said Khaira held the press conference where he leveled the charges in a “realistic manner”. “He was holding the press conference while sitting in Guwahati, which showed his confidence level. The truth will come out in front of people, you can never hide lies,” Masood told ANI. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram also responded to a news report of police arriving at Khera’s residence, alleging that “Assam Police has become a private militia”.
