Youth Congress workers led by Uday Bhanu Chib protest at Jantar Mantar after Assam Police visit Pawan Khera’s residence.
Row erupts over Khera’s allegations on Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s passports and assets, which Himanta Biswa Sarma denies.
Congress accuses BJP-RSS of anti-Dalit bias after Sarma’s remarks on Mallikarjun Kharge; BJP yet to respond.
Congress vs Sarma Escalates: Youth Congress Protests, Police Visit To Khera Sparks Row
IYC hits the streets in Delhi over Assam CM’s remarks and police action, as passport allegations against his wife trigger a wider political clash
Summary
The Youth Congress on Wednesday protested against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma here, a day after a team of Assam Police visited the Delhi residence of Congress leader Pawan Khera after he alleged that Sarma’s wife holds multiple passports and undeclared assets.
Several Indian Youth Congress (IYC) members protested, led by the party president Uday Bhanu Chib, at Jantar Mantar. They raised slogans, waving Congress flags and holding placards that read, “Kharge ko gaali har Dalit ka apmaan hai” (an insult to Kharge is an insult to every Dalit).
The protest came amid a political row triggered by Khera’s allegations that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds multiple passports and owns undeclared foreign assets – claims that the Assam chief minister has denied. Sarma accused the Congress of making unverified allegations against him and his family.
Meanwhile, Sarma also targeted Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, saying he was “speaking like a madman” due to old age after Kharge called for central agencies to probe the allegations.
Condemning Sarma’s remarks, Chib accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of having an “anti-Dalit” mindset.
“Kharge is a senior and popular Dalit leader of the country. An insult to him is not merely an insult to a single individual, but an insult to the crores of people belonging to the SC-ST communities of this nation. It is an old habit of the BJP-RSS that whenever a Dalit leader speaks the truth, they resort to humiliating him,” Chib claimed.
He claimed the manner in which the Assam Police raided Khera’s house “constitutes a series of acts that do not befit a Chief Minister.” The IYC members also said if Khera’s claims were incorrect, the Ministry of External Affairs should have clarified the matter.
They also accused Sarma of making inconsistent and provocative remarks, citing his comments on Khera, Kharge, Dalits, the elderly, and Rahul Gandhi.
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On Tuesday, Sarma alleged that Khera had “run away” to Hyderabad and said the Assam Police would “hunt him down even from ‘pataal’ (netherworld)”. An Assam Police team had visited Khera’s Delhi residence to question him, but did not find him there.
Polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly is scheduled for April 9, with counting of votes to take place on May 4.
There was no immediate response from the BJP and RSS on the protest.
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