Rahul Gandhi backs Pawan Khera, calls Assam CM Himanta 'most corrupt'

Rahul Gandhi called Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma the "most corrupt" and backed Pawan Khera over allegations against Sarma's wife. Assam Police challenged Khera's bail as Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi claimed the CM was in "panic mode".

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday asserted that the party stands with party leader Pawan Khera in the case against him after he accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma of holding multiple passports. In an X post, Rahul Gandhi called Himanta Biswa Sarma the "most corrupt" CM in the country and demanded a probe into allegations levelled by Congress. "The present CM of Assam is the most corrupt in the country. He will not escape the law. His abuse of state power to harass his political opponents and critics is against the Constitution. The questions that are being raised have to be probed. Transparency, accountability of power and the rule of law are the basis of our Constitutional values. The Congress Party stands with Pawan Khera. We will not be intimidated," Gandhi wrote on X.

Assam Police Challenge Khera's Bail

The Congress MP's remarks came after Assam Police approached the Supreme Court against Telangana High Court's decision to grant transit anticipatory bail for a period of one week from April 10, subject to the conditions. According to the bail order, Pawan Khera has to approach the competent jurisdictional Court in Assam and seek appropriate relief in accordance with the law.

Background of the Allegations

Chairperson of Congress' Media and Publicity Department, Pawan Khera, had alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma owned three passports and the couple, along with their son, owns a business worth Rs 52,000 crore in the United States. Assam CM, however, had denied the claims. Riniki Bhuyan Sharma had lodged an FIR against Khera, and the Assam Police carried out searches at his residence.

'CM in Panic Mode': Assam Congress

Earlier on April 10, Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi lambasted Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying that he was "in panic mode" and reacting out of "desperation".

Speaking to ANI, Gogoi said the Chief Minister was reacting strongly because he didn't expect that "reports would become so viral". "I think CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has totally panicked. He has gone into panic mode. He didn't expect that reports would become so viral. So, in the last 5-6 days, he has been literally tearing his hair out. His desperation can be seen in his words, actions, and on his face. I would just like to say that just by shouting, truth does not become a lie; just by showcasing that you have the power to investigate doesn't mean that fact becomes fiction," Gogoi said. (ANI)

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