The BJP defended Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma against 'malicious' allegations from Congress. Sarma rejected the claims as fabricated, vowing to file criminal and civil defamation cases against Congress's Pawan Khera within 48 hours.
Sarma Hits Back, Threatens Legal Action
Sarma rejected the allegations as "malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies" and said he and his wife will file criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours against Khera. The allegations came amid hectic electioneering in the state for the assembly polls slated for April 9. "Today's press conference by Pawan Khera reflects the deep frustration and panic within the Congress party. As Assam moves decisively towards a historic mandate, such desperate and baseless attacks only expose their sinking ground. I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam," Sarma said.
"My wife and I will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours against Shri Pawan Khera. He will be held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements. I have complete faith in the judiciary. Once the truth is established in a court of law, Shri Pawan Khera will face the consequences of his actions, and the law will take its due course," he added. Sarma said people of Assam will not be misled "by such propaganda"."We remain focused, determined, and confident of securing a decisive mandate of more than 100 seats from the people," he added.
Sarma's Wife Rejects 'Fabricated' Documents
Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma also hit out at Pawan Khera, saying the allegations were based on "poorly fabricated images of imaginary passports and documents" and criminal charges are being initiated. "Aapki sirf tapasya mein hi nahi, AI generation aur photoshopping mein bhi kami reh gayi. I expected a spokesperson of a national party to exercise basic due diligence, rather than circulate poorly fabricated images of imaginary passports and documents. I will now be letting the law take over. Criminal charges are being initiated. We can continue this in court," she said in a post on X.
Details Alleged 'Digital Manipulation'
Sarma continued his attack on Pawan Khera and Congress in another post on X. "Busting Congress' propaganda -- serious discrepancies exposed. The documents being circulated show multiple glaring inconsistencies, suggesting a crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation: 1. Surname mismatch -- "SARMA" used instead of the official "SHARMA". 2 Photograph appears to be a publicly available image, not a standard biometric capture. 3 UAE ID anomalies: ID sequence inconsistent with expected year-of-birth pattern, Nationality mismatch -- listed as Egypt, while MRZ reflects a different country code. 4 Antigua & Barbuda passport: Expiry date mismatch between printed field and MRZ," he said.
"5 Egyptian passport: Passport number mismatch between printed field and MRZ, spelling errors ("Egyptiann") and incorrect Arabic reference. 6 Title deed QR code appears invalid and does not resolve to any authentic record. These inconsistencies strongly indicate possible fabrication or digital manipulation," he added. Sarma said those spreading misinformation will be held accountable. "Truth will prevail. I am confident that Pawan Khera's campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually Mr Khera will go to Jail," he said.
Gaurav Gogoi Demands Investigation
Gaurav Gogoi attacked the Chief Minister said Sarma has become "an embarrassment for Assam and India" and he "will have to answer the questions and pay for his crime". "Shocking allegations have come out related to Himanta Biswa Sarma. Holding multiple passports and failure to disclose properties is a grave and criminal offence. How much money have they sent from Assam to their bank accounts abroad? More investigation is required. Himanta Biswa Sarma has become an embarrassment for the state of Assam and India. He will have to answer the questions and pay for his crime," he said in a post on X.
The Allegations by Pawan Khera
Khera alleged his press conference in the national capital that Biswa Sarma's wife was "holding three passports from three different countries - the UAE, Egypt and Antigua and Barbuda". He alleged that Himanta's wife owns two properties in Dubai, which Sarma "had not mentioned in his election affidavit".
Khera alleged that Himanta Biswa Sarma's "politics is based on hatred against Muslims", but his wife "holds passports from two Muslim countries".
BJP Leaders Defend Assam CM
BJP leaders in Delhi and Assam came out in defence of Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Congress Party has today done an extremely reprehensible and lowly act by leveling baseless, factless, and fake document-based accusations against our Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ji," BJP Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said at a press conference here.
Assam Minister Pijyush Hazarika also took potshots at Congress. "So @INCIndianeed to hire a better photo shop designer. Their IT cell did such a shoddy job in creating fake passport images , that it got busted Will the ecosystem fact checkers care to call out this bluff or be a part of this rookie photoshop charge," he said in a post on X.
Assam will go to the polls on April 9 and results will be announced on April 4. (ANI)
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