Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Congress party on March 30 alleged that Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had “threatened” Bodoland People’s Front chief Hagrama Mohilary and called on the Election Commission to take action against the BJP leader.

The All India Congress Committee wrote to the Election Commission alleging that Sarma tried to influence the voters by threatening the BPF chief, who is an ally of the Congress in the Assam assembly polls.

“We would like to draw this commission’s urgent attention towards senior BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma’s open public threats, who foreseeing the looming defeat of his party, has made blatant, scandalous and intimidating statements on March 29 wherein he has openly threatened his opponent party, INC alliance partner and Bodoland People’s Front chairperson Hagrama Mohilary of sending him to jail by misusing the Central Agency – NIA, which is under the direct administrative control of the BJP-led central government,” said an AICC memorandum addressed to the Election Commission in New Delhi.

In the memorandum to the poll panel, the party also demanded that Sarma should be banned from campaigning in the Assam election.

The Congress also accused the Assam minister of attempting to influence the voters to not vote for the alliance led by Congress, including Mohilary’s party.

“Sarma has sought to cast a malicious and malafide impression on the public at large, that on account of the undue strength of the BJP-led central government manning the central agencies, Sarma is in an undue position to control/ misuse the NIA and hence capable of sending Mohilary to jail. This is a clear message to the voters in order to influence them to not vote for INC alliance including the BPF by completely unconstitutional means and propaganda,” the party alleged.

The letter, signed by Congress leaders including Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ajay Maken, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mukul Wasnik, said that Sarma’s remarks were a serious violation of the Model Code of Conduct and demanded action under the Representation of People Act, 1951 and the Indian Penal Code.

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