Sarma Slams Congress for 'Unverified' Allegations, Vows Action

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma fiercely defends himself and his family against Congress allegations of undeclared assets and multiple passports, accusing the opposition party of spreading misinformation and threatening legal action.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for "not verifying" the documents based on which it brought allegations against him and his family.

Congress leader Pawan Khera had on Sunday alleged that Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit.

Sarma also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming that he was "speaking like a madman" due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges.

The CM asserted that Khera had "run away" to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will "hunt him down even from 'pataal' (netherworld)".

"'Assam Police ko nahi jante hain.. Pataal se bhi ukhar ke le ayega' (They don't know the Assam Police... they will hunt him down even from the netherworld)," asserted Sarma.

An Assam Police team had earlier in the day visited the Delhi residence of Khera for questioning him in connection with the case.

"If they didn't know the truth, why did they put it out in public? They should have asked the foreign minister first," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election campaign, when asked for his reaction to Kharge's assertion that the Union government should probe the allegations now.

Kharge, at a presser in Guwahati on Tuesday, said all agencies are under the central government, which should probe the charges.

"They have already filed an FIR against Khera. Let them probe the matter. We will face the case as it progresses. We have sought probes by the ED or CBI into the allegations," he said.

Sarma added: "Kharge is ageing and is speaking like a 'pagal' (madman). You insult the people first and then say will ask the foreign minister (for verification)? Is he your 'damad' (son-in-law)?"

"I think Rahul Gandhi had given these documents to Khera, and if that is so, the case will then include Gandhi," he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Sarma had claimed that Khera has "run away" to Hyderabad, after daring the state police to arrest him.

"Pawan Khera had dared the Assam Police to arrest him, but he has now run away to Hyderabad," Sarma told PTI Videos in Sivasagar on the sidelines of a poll campaign meeting.

The Assam Police team on Tuesday carried out a search at the Delhi residence of Khera in connection with a case filed by Sarma's wife over his allegations of multiple passports and undeclared assets, officials said.

Assam Police DCP Debojit Nath said that Khera was not found at his residence. However, he said, a search was carried out and electronic devices were seized.

"I don't know why they have gone, as he (Khera) ran away yesterday itself. Till yesterday, Khera was saying arrest me, and now when police reached his home, he ran away," Sarma claimed.

"He had brought false allegations against me," the CM asserted, adding that he will "not spare" the Congress leader.

Allegations Against Sarma's Wife

Khera had on Sunday alleged that Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has passports of the UAE, Egypt and Antigua-Barbuda, two properties in Dubai and assets in shell companies in the US.

These details were not declared in Sarma's election affidavit, the Congress claimed, and approached the Election Commission for disqualifying him.

Sarma's Response and Counter-Accusations

On Monday, Sarma had alleged that the Congress used "false information" sourced from a Pakistani social media group to level "baseless" and "malicious" allegations against his wife. The BJP leader termed it an attempt to influence the Assam elections and a punishable offence.

The chief minister had also said that his wife has filed a police complaint against Khera.