Congress Supports Pawan Khera: Calls for EC Investigation into Assam CM's Wife
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New Delhi, April 10 (NationPress) – The Congress party has rallied behind its leader Pawan Khera following the interim relief granted by the Telangana High Court. This relief comes in response to a case initiated by the Assam Police, which accused Khera of making defamatory remarks regarding the wife of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. The Congress hailed Khera as a "hero" and asserted that the Election Commission (EC) must investigate the serious allegations against the Chief Minister's wife.
The Telangana High Court has allowed Khera a week of anticipatory bail to facilitate his request for regular bail in the appropriate court.
Khera sought the High Court's transit anticipatory bail to enable him to approach the courts in Assam.
Expressing satisfaction with the court's decision, Congress MP Tariq Anwar remarked, "The way the Assam Police pursued Pawan Khera made it seem as though he had committed a severe offense."
Noting the timing of this controversy, which surfaced just before Assam's Assembly elections on April 9, Anwar emphasized that the Election Commission should have intervened.
"The crucial question is whether the Election Commission has taken notice of the allegations against the wife of the Assam Chief Minister, and whether an investigation should have been conducted to determine the validity of these claims," he told IANS.
Anwar further criticized the Election Commission, stating, "It appears they lack a role in the election process altogether."
In a show of solidarity for Khera, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in harassment tactics.
He stated, "Everything Pawan Khera said was factual. This is the BJP's method of conducting politics, and they are resorting to harassment. Pawanji (Khera) is standing firm and has become a hero in our eyes."
Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain informed reporters, "We have yet to receive answers to the questions raised by Pawan Khera and the party. The BJP's response has been police action, aimed at intimidating and threatening individuals."
Upon arriving for the Congress Working Committee meeting, AICC in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh Alwar stated that the case against Khera reflects the "frustration" of Chief Minister Sarma.
He added, "Corruption has occurred in Assam, alongside the establishment of 'Mafia Raj' and syndicates. Congress has exposed numerous scams perpetrated by the BJP-led government in Assam over the last five years," he told reporters.
Additionally, Alwar accused the current BJP-led government of failing to fulfill its electoral promises.