Passport row: After Khera, probe may reach Rahul Gandhi, says Assam CM
Sarma says Assam Police will track Khera anywhere, question him & widen probe based on findings, links
An Assam Police team and others leave the Delhi residence of Congress leader Pawan Khera, on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)
Guwahati, April 7: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday, launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Pawan Khera, asserting that he will be tracked down and questioned by Assam Police in connection with the controversy over alleged documents.
Sarma claimed that Khera, who had earlier challenged authorities, is now no longer maintaining the same stance.
“Till the day before yesterday, Pawan Khera was saying ‘arrest me if you can’. Now his position has changed. This raises serious questions,” he said.
Making it clear that Khera remains at the centre of the probe, the Chief Minister added, “Assam Police will find him from wherever he is and bring him in. The law will take its own course.”
He strongly questioned the credibility and handling of the documents presented by the Congress party.
“If you don’t know the truth, how can you put such documents in the public domain? Before making allegations, they should have approached the Ministry of External Affairs for verification,” Sarma said.
Sarma also took a dig at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, criticising his remarks on the issue.
“It is unfortunate that a senior leader like Kharge is speaking in this manner. You cannot insult people and then say you will ask the Foreign Minister. Is the Foreign Minister his son-in-law that he will be available at your beck and call?” he said.
Escalating the matter further, the Chief Minister hinted that the investigation could expand beyond Khera.
“We have doubts about where these documents originated from. This should not remain limited to one individual. There should be a probe into whether Rahul Gandhi had any role in this,” Sarma stated.
Outlining the possible course of action, Sarma said, “We will first proceed against Pawan Khera. Once he is questioned, we will extract the names and then move further.”
The remarks have intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with allegations and counter-allegations dominating the discourse.
While the Congress has rejected the claims, Sarma maintained that the issue involves serious questions of credibility and accountability.
With Assam Police expected to continue their probe, the controversy is likely to remain a key political flashpoint in the coming days.
Earlier in the morning, police teams reached Congress leader Pawan Khera’s residence in New Delhi following an FIR filed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
The development comes a day after Riniki Bhuyan Sarma lodged a complaint at Pan Bazar Crime Branch in Guwahati over allegations made by Khera regarding her citizenship and assets.