GUWAHATI
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma has threatened Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi with a ₹10 crore defamation suit for claiming that a firm she is associated with was granted a Central subsidy of ₹10 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.
The Chief Minister, too, has threatened legal action against Mr. Gogoi and said he was willing to retire from politics if anyone can prove his wife or the firm she is associated with received or claimed any amount from the Centre.
“…Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd is an independent entity in existence since 2006 with business interests in varied sectors. It is a law-abiding company with all its financial records in the public domain. With a long and successful business track record, Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd like any other qualifying enterprise is eligible to participate in government-supported programs/incentive schemes,” Ms. Bhuyan Sarma said in a statement.
She asserted that the firm neither claimed nor received a single paisa of government subsidy under the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana “despite meeting all the eligibility criteria”.
“This is nothing but an attack to malign and defame a 17-year-old Assamese enterprise, which has adhered to every aspect of the law, headed by a woman entrepreneur,” she said.
“To protect the reputation of our hardworking employees from this slanderous campaign of Sri Gaurav Gogoi… I am thereby constrained to file a case of defamation with ₹10 crore in damages against him in the court of law,” her statement read.
More war of words
Ms. Bhuyan Sarma’s threat followed a war of words on X between the Chief Minister and the Congress MP with the latter holding his ground.
“Out of respect, I will offer my free advice to the company linked to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma which has received approval for a ₹10 crore grant from the Government of India. Please make Union Minister Piyush Goyal and (Assam) BJP MP Pallab (Lochan) Das a party to the case,” Mr. Gogoi said on X. He attached a six-month-old written reply in Parliament by Mr. Goyal to a question on investment in Assam by Mr. Das.
Mr. Gogoi also referred to an adjournment motion on the subsidy row demanded by the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, following which the opposition MLAs staged a walkout on Thursday.
“I am confident that we will meet in court, and once again, I will be able to prove my point. I have successfully done so in 2016 and 2021, and I am determined to do it again, both in the people’s court and in a court of law,” Mr. Sarma responded.
Pointing out that Mr. Sarma was free to choose his path, Mr. Gogoi asked him to attend the Assembly session and address the issue.
