New Delhi, April 8 Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday came out in support of party colleague Pawan Khera, saying the "shameless" attack on him by the BJP speaks of the ruling party's arrogance and guilt.
Gandhi said every Congress worker and Indian who believes in the Constitution stands with Khera as he is "being targeted" by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who she claimed has lost his moral right to govern.
"The shameless attack on Congress leader Pawan Khera by the BJP only speaks of their arrogance and guilt.
"Every Congress person, indeed every Indian who believes in our Constitution and understands that raising questions and challenging power is the basis of a strong democracy stands by him as his home is ransacked and he is hunted down by a chief minister who has lost his moral right to govern," she said in a post on X.
The attack came a day ahead of polling in Assam to elect the state's 126-member Assembly.
The Congress said Khera is a strong soldier of the party and is not the type who would be intimidated by Sarma's empty threats.
"Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is surrounded by serious corruption allegations. Instead of answering questions, he's flexing his police. Pawan Khera ji is a strong soldier of the Congress party -- he is not the type to be intimidated by these empty threats.
"They have questioned you before, and today they stand before you with fresh questions. If you have the guts, answer them -- hiding behind the police and spewing indecent language won't get you anywhere. The people of Assam already know your full dirty story -- they will deliver their verdict against you tomorrow," the Congress said in a post on X on Wednesday, targeting Sarma.
The opposition party also shared a fresh video of Khera from an undisclosed location, in which he accused Sarma of "unleashing" the state police on him instead of addressing the questions posed to him on multiple passports and foreign investments linked to his wife.
In the recorded video addressed to Sarma from the undisclosed location, Khera said, "Our party had only asked you some questions. Why do you want to silence us? We have asked questions, give us the replies."
"Instead of replying, you are hurling abuses at everyone, you have put police after me. I am not afraid of them. But I am avoiding them as I have more questions to ask," he said.
Khera reiterated questions regarding a purported company registered in the US state of Wyoming in the name of Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, claiming that the official company website lists a London address as its primary address and two more addresses in Dubai and Dhaka. He claimed that the London address is also linked to "Bhuyan Properties Limited", according to UK government records.
A team of the Assam Police came to Khera's Delhi residence on Tuesday for questioning him and carried out a search in connection with a case filed by Sarma's wife over his allegations of multiple passports and undeclared assets.
Sarma had warned of legal action against Khera, after the Congress leader alleged at a press conference here on Sunday that the Assam chief minister's wife has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in his election affidavit.
