The election campaign in Assam has come to an end, but by the end of the election campaign, the war of words between the political parties had become very intense. The matter heated up after Congress leader Pawan Kheda mentioned Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife and claimed that she has 3 passports. Both sides started attacking each other fiercely. Now a leader of the Congress ally said that Pawan Kheda should not have given the passport statement, election issues should have been raised.
Criticizing Pawan Khera's statement, Anand Dubey, leader and national spokesperson of Shiv Sena (UBT) party, an ally of Congress in Maharashtra, said, "Assam elections are going well, but leaders like Pawan Khera have damaged the image of Congress in the elections because of their loudness. They should not have brought up the issue of passport."
He further said, "Pawan Khera and Himanta Biswa Sarma have made this election personal whereas this election should have been Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) versus Congress. This way the election gets spoiled. Elections should be on issues, on development, on policy and strategy. Whereas the public has nothing to do with such topics. We feel that Pawan Khera, who is a big leader of Congress, should at least avoid such things and should not allow the election to become personal."
After the allegations by Congress leader Pawan Kheda, there was sudden heat in the politics of Assam. Three days ago on Sunday, Khera had alleged that Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma has several passports and also has property in many places abroad, which the Chief Minister has not mentioned in his election affidavit.
After this allegation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday targeted the Congress and said that it did not investigate the documents on the basis of which allegations have been made against his family. He also targeted Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and claimed that due to his increasing age he is talking like a mad person.
CM Sarma made this comment when Kharge said after Kheda's allegations that these allegations should be investigated by central agencies. On behalf of the CM's wife, a complaint was lodged in Assam against Kheda's statement, after which Assam Police along with Delhi Police reached Kheda's residence in Delhi, but he was not found there.
On this, CM Sarma taunted and said, "He (Kheda) has made false allegations against me. Kheda has fled to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will search for him even from the underworld. You people do not know the Assam Police. They will bring him out even from the underworld." Earlier, a team of Assam Police reached Kheda's Delhi residence to interrogate him.
The search at Pawan Kheda's house was conducted in connection with a case filed by Sarma's wife, in which the Congress leader had alleged that he possessed multiple passports and undeclared assets. DCP Debojit Nath of Assam Police said that Pawan Kheda was not found at his residence. However, he said that the house was searched and some electronic devices were seized.
On this, Chief Minister Sarma said, "I don't know why he has gone, because he (Kheda) had fled yesterday itself. Till yesterday, Kheda was saying that arrest me and show me, and now when the police reached his house, he ran away."
Earlier on Sunday, Kheda had alleged that Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan has passports of UAE as well as Egypt and Antigua-Barbuda, apart from this, she also has two properties in Dubai and has properties in several SAIL companies in America, which the Chief Minister did not mention in his election affidavit. Congress approached the Election Commission to disqualify Sarma on this basis.
