The Congress on Tuesday slammed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, even as police reached the Delhi residence of party spokesperson Pawan Khera.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh termed the police action as a “witch hunt”, claiming it did not follow due process. This comes amid a political row after Khera 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. Riniki then filed a criminal defamation FIR against Khera.
On the police officials reaching Khera's home in Nizamuddin East, Ramesh said that this showed that the Assam CM was “disturbed, desperate, and rattled.” He claimed that Himanta was “facing imminent defeat.”
“The deployment of a full army of police officials to arrest my colleague Pawan Khera for asking basic questions in the public interest proves that the Assam CM is disturbed, desperate, and rattled,” Ramesh said in his post on X.
{{/usCountry}}“The deployment of a full army of police officials to arrest my colleague Pawan Khera for asking basic questions in the public interest proves that the Assam CM is disturbed, desperate, and rattled,” Ramesh said in his post on X.
{{/usCountry}}“This is not due process but instead a witch hunt, a bully using state machinery to muzzle and silence the voice of the Opposition that is exposing his many black deeds. Those who intimidate are the ones who are afraid and have much to hide,” he added.
Cong claims Assam CM ‘rattled’, seeks response to Khera's charges
Meanwhile, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate claimed Assam CM Himanta was “rattled”, while asking him to respond to the charges levelled by Khera.
“Who is your police (Assam Police) trying to scare in Delhi? Everyone knows how you looted the people of Assam. The kind of language you are using and by sending your police, you are proving that you are rattled...” Shrinate told ANI news agency.
In a post on her official X handle, Shrinate said, “Why don’t you answer the charges levelled by @Pawankhera instead of resorting to name calling and intimidation? Stop your theatrics, because you can no longer hide your corruption.”
Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Imran Masood said Khera had conducted the press conference wherein he levelled the charges in a “factual manner”. “He was holding the press conference while sitting in Guwahati, which showed his level of confidence. The truth will come out in front of the people; you can never cover up lies,” Masood told ANI. Congress's Karti Chidambaram also responded to a news report of police reaching Khera's residence, alleging that “Assam Police has become a Private Militia.”