New Delhi, April 10 (IANS) The Congress on Friday came out in support of party leader Pawan Khera after he was granted interim relief by the Telangana High Court in connection with a case registered against him by the Assam Police for alleged defamatory charges against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. Hailing Khera as a “hero”, the grand old party said that the Election Commission (EC) should have investigated the allegations against Chief Minister’s wife.
The Telangana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Khera for one week to enable him to file an application for regular bail before the concerned court.
Khera had approached the Telangana High Court for transit anticipatory bail to enable him to approach courts in Assam.
Welcoming the court’s judgment, Congress MP Tariq Anwar said, “The manner in which the Assam Police pursued him (Pawan Khera) and made it appear as though he had committed some grave crime.”
Given that the controversy cropped up just before Assam voted in the Assembly elections on April 9, Anwar noted that the EC should have interfered in the matter.
“The pertinent question is that the Election Commission should have taken cognisance of the allegations levelled against the Assam Chief Minister’s (Himanta Biswa Sarma) wife and should have conducted an investigation into the matter and also given a court judgment at the earliest about whether the allegations are correct or not,” he told IANS.
Anwar also said, “But it seems that the Election Commission does not have any role to play in the entire election process.”
Extending support for Khera, Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of harassment.
He said, “Whatever Pawan Khera said was right. This is their (BJP’s) way of doing politics. So they are doing harassment. Pawanji (Khera) is also fighting back. He has become a hero for us.”
Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain told reporters, “We have not yet received the answer to the questions raised by Pawan Khera and the party. Their (BJP’s) answer is police action and to scare and threaten people.”
Upon his arrival for the Congress Working Committee meeting, AICC in-charge of Assam Jitendra Singh Alwar said that the case against Pawan Khera reflects the “frustration” of Assam Chief Minister Sarma.
“Corruption has taken place (in Assam), ‘Mafia Raj’ and syndicates are also happening. Congress has revealed all their (Assam-led BJP government’s) scams happening for the past five years,” he told reporters.
Moreover, Alwar accused the incumbent BJP-led government in Assam of failing to deliver its poll promises.
–IANS
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