Jairam Ramesh alleges witch hunt against senior leader
NEW DELHI, April 7: Assam Police on Tuesday vowed to trace out Congress leader Pawan Khera after they failed to find him at his Delhi residence, prompting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to claim that Khera might have absconded.
Assam Police arrived at Khera’s residence in Delhi earlier in the day amid the controversy over the party’s claim that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife holds three passports. The searches came after Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, lodged an FIR over the issue on Monday.
Speaking to the reporters outside the Congress leader’s residence in New Delhi, a police official said, “A case has been registered… We wanted to talk to Pawan Khera… We couldn’t meet him as he is not here… We found some things in his house, but I will not disclose the details… We don’t know where he is right now, but we will trace him out…”
Meanwhile, Sarma said the allegations made by Khera regarding his wife’s alleged foreign passports have been “completely exposed as lies”.
The Chief Minister further stated that the Assam Police had visited Khera’s residence as part of the investigation, but alleged that the Congress leader was not found there.
“I think Pawan Khera has absconded,” Sarma said.
Later, speaking to the reporters, he also alleged that Khera may have fled to Hyderabad to evade questioning. “He has probably run away to Hyderabad,” CM Sarma added.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the searches carried out by the Assam Police at Khera’s Delhi residence on Tuesday, stating that the “witch hunt” stands as proof that the Assam Chief Minister is “facing imminent defeat”.
“The deployment of a full army of police officials to arrest my colleague Pawan Khera for asking basic questions in the public interest proves that the Assam CM is disturbed, desperate, and rattled,” he posted on X.
“This is not due process but instead a witch hunt, a bully using state machinery to muzzle and silence the voice of the Opposition that is exposing his many black deeds. Those who intimidate are the ones who are afraid and have much to hide. It also proves that the CM is facing imminent defeat,” the Congress general secretary added. (IANS)
