New Delhi: With campaigning for the Assam Assembly elections coming to an end, the Congress planned a press conference. Party leader Priyanka Gandhi reportedly advised spokesperson Pawan Khera against holding it, fearing any statement about the party’s prospects could create trouble.
Khera went ahead with the briefing and alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Rinki Bhuyan, held three passports and ran business worth Rs 52,000 crore in the United States.
The remarks, made two days before polling, reportedly angered Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He is said to have called the Assam Chief Minister and urged action against Khera, also making claims about Khera’s past role as a secretary during Sheila Dikshit’s tenure as Delhi Chief Minister.
Following this, Assam Police registered an FIR and went to Khera’s Delhi residence to arrest him. Khera reportedly flew to Hyderabad, and police searched his Delhi home and seized documents.
Khera later approached a Hyderabad court and obtained anticipatory bail for a week. The episode has reportedly upset Priyanka Gandhi and drawn criticism from some Congress leaders, who questioned the need for such statements during elections.
