Congress MP Venugopal accuses Assam CM of false charges as Pawan Khera secures anticipatory bail

Congress MP KC Venugopal on April 10, termed the allegations and legal action against party leader Pawan Khera as “witch-hunting,” accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of repeatedly levelling unsubstantiated charges against opposition leaders ahead of elections.

 

Speaking to reporters, Venugopal alleged that the Assam Chief Minister had earlier made baseless accusations against Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and his wife, and was now targeting Khera. “Himanta Biswa Sarma has levelled false allegations against Gaurav Gogoi and his wife time and again. He spreads baseless stories before elections and never produces proof. Now he accuses Pawan Khera. This is nothing but witch-hunting. We will face it,” Venugopal said.

 

Earlier in the day, the Telangana High Court granted one week of anticipatory bail to Pawan Khera in connection with an FIR filed by Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of the Assam Chief Minister. The case pertains to allegations made by Khera regarding passport and property disclosures.

 

According to Ponnam Ashoke Goud of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s legal cell, the court allowed Khera a week’s time to approach the concerned jurisdictional court for further legal relief.

 

The controversy stems from Khera’s allegations that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three passports from India, the UAE, and Egypt and owns undisclosed luxury properties in Dubai, along with a company in Wyoming, USA.

 

The Sarma family has strongly denied these claims, describing the documents circulated in support of the allegations as “AI-generated fabrications” allegedly spread by Pakistani social media groups.

 

Responding to the accusations, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier vowed stringent legal action, asserting that the law would take its own course. He also criticised the Congress leadership and alleged that Khera had travelled to Hyderabad following the initiation of legal proceedings.

 

The political exchange has intensified tensions between the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of key electoral developments, with both sides accusing each other of misinformation and political vendetta.