The political row between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Pawan Khera escalated on Wednesday, with senior leaders of the BJP and the Congress joining the war of words.
The row erupted after Khaira claimed, at a press conference in Guwahati, that the Assam CM’s wife Renikki holds three passports – from India, the UAE and Egypt – and owns undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai and a company in the US state of Wyoming.
Subsequently, Reneke filed a criminal defamation suit against Khaira, which led to a raid on his home.
Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita said the allegations made by Khaira against Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, were “false and fabricated”.
BJP and Congress exchange barbs
Even as disagreement with police actions escalated, leaders on both sides of the political spectrum engaged in a verbal sparring. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday criticized Sarma, saying he used “vulgar and insulting language” against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
Kharji had earlier sought clarification from the Center and the FM on the action taken by the police against Khaira, to which Sarma replied: “Are you crazy? If you don’t know the truth, why did you put it? You should have asked earlier… First, you should have asked the FM whether it was true or not, and we have received this allegation.”
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Rahul Gandhi also condemned Sarma’s statements as “shameful” and “unacceptable”. He also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on the issue.
While the Congress sought an apology from Sarma over his remarks on Kharge, BJP leaders criticized Khaira. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the Congress would have to “face punishment for its dirty politics”. BJP’s NV Subhash criticized Khaera, saying he made “baseless allegations” against Sarma and his wife.
From police action to the ministry’s rejection of the allegations: how did it escalate?
After Reneke’s FIR, Assam Police reached Khera’s residence in Delhi and conducted searches there. DCP Debojit Nath of Assam Police said Khaira was not found at his home, but said some electronic devices had been confiscated.
Meanwhile, while Karji urged the Center to investigate the accusations, External Affairs Ministry’s Papitra Margherita rejected Khaira’s claims. “The Congress and its leader Pawan Khera, along with state party chief Gaurav Gogoi, have shown some documents, passports, etc. against the wife of the honorable Prime Minister and said that these passports belong to three foreign countries,” Margherita said.
The minister added: “As Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, I want to say that through our diplomatic channels and investigations, we have learned that these matters are fake and fabricated.”
Meanwhile, Assam CM Sarma launched criticism against the Congress for “not verifying” the documents shown by Khera. He further alleged that Khaira “escaped to Hyderabad”. “If they did not know the truth, why did they announce it? They should have asked the foreign minister first,” Sarma said.
