Guwahati: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday filed a Rs 500-crore defamation case in a local court against Congress leaders Jitendra Singh Alwar, Bhupesh Baghel, and Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi. The case pertains to what Sarma described as “false, malicious and defamatory” allegations made during a press conference on Feb 4.Congress leaders launched a website intended to scrutinise CM Sarma’s political journey and governance style. They also accused Sarma of being involved in corruption besides amassing vast amounts of land and property across Assam.
In a post on X, CM Sarma said the case was filed in connection with what he described as “false, malicious and defamatory” allegations levelled against him during a Congress press conference.He reiterated that he would not be deterred by political pressure or public attacks.“The era of hit-and-run politics is over. If they have even an ounce of courage or evidence, let them prove every allegation before a court of law,” the CM said.The filing of the cases came days after CM Sarma had publicly declared that he would initiate legal action against the Congress leaders over the allegations, signalling his intent to pursue both civil and criminal remedies.CM Sarma also accused the Congress leadership of resorting to coordinated slander and political theatrics, alleging that the attack was carried out at the behest of the Gandhi family.He said the opposition should focus on issues and governance rather than personal vilification.The CM’s move followed a press conference at Rajiv Bhawan, where Congress MP and deputy leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, in the presence of former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, launched a digital platform intending to scrutinise Sarma’s political journey and governance style, and claimed it contained documents, videos and other material related to the CM’s public life.Congress leader asserted that the initiative aimed to place “facts” before the people of Assam and promote accountability.Gogoi also announced that the Congress had released a pamphlet with similar content, which would be distributed across the state as part of a broader outreach programme.Echoing Gogoi’s remarks, Baghel stressed that transparency and accountability were essential pillars of democracy, particularly as Assam heads towards crucial political milestones.
