Assam CM flays Cong for 'not verifying' documents before making charges against his family
Sivasagar/Guwahati (PTI): 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),” the chief minister said.
“I think Rahul Gandhi had given these documents to Khera, and if that is so, the case will then include Gandhi,” he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengal polls: Mamata Banerjee backs Jyotipriya Mallick as TMC's candidate from Habra
Habra (WB) (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday extended her full support to long-time political associate Jyotipriya Mallick, claiming he was targeted in a money laundering case due to a CPI(M) conspiracy.
Mallick, who held the Food and Supplies portfolio in the Mamata Banerjee government from 2011 to 2021, was arrested by the ED in October 2023 in a money laundering case linked to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam.
He was granted bail in January 2025. At the time of his arrest, he was the state’s forest minister.
Extending her full support to Mallick, who is contesting from Habra constituency for a fourth consecutive term, Banerjee claimed that the CPI(M) and the BJP were spreading canards against him.
"Nobody has worked as well as Balu (Mallick) did in my government," Banerjee said, adding that he was arrested out of "jealousy".
The chief minister alleged that CPI(M) entered 1.5 crore false names in the PDS ration list, which Mallick detected and removed.
She also claimed the Left party persuaded the BJP to register the case against him.
"Balu was instrumental in providing digital ration cards to beneficiaries and introduced a system to track vehicles transporting PDS goods," Banerjee said.
She also defended her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, questioning why honest business earnings were being scrutinised.
Addressing voters ahead of the two-phase Assembly polls, she said, "I am the candidate everywhere. One vote for Trinamool means voting for me. If you want development work to continue under my leadership, exercise your franchise with my face in mind."
Training her guns on the CPI(M), Banerjee asserted that the Left party drew a blank in the elections because of her.
The CPI(M)-led Left Front could not win a single seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, and also in the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Bengal.
"ED or CBI cases are not registered against CPI(M), because they play got-up games with the BJP," the TMC chief said.
Banerjee claimed that the CPI(M) candidates, by dividing votes, will try to help the BJP win seats, asserting that anti-BJP votes should go only to the TMC.
She said people were made to stand in long queues for SIR and asked voters, "Will you avenge this or not?"
She claimed that former CPI(M) workers and supporters have now shifted allegiance to the BJP, while accusing the saffron party, Left and Congress of being "in cahoots with each other."
"Where were they when SIR was being done?" she asked, asserting that only TMC workers stood by the people during that period.
