Assam Assembly witnesses ruckus between BJP, Congress
Sep 15, 2023
Guwahati (Assam) [India], September 15 : The Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed a ruckus between the MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress over the allegation that a firm linked to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife received central subsidy under a scheme of the Central government.
It was the last day of the five-day autumn session of the Assam legislative assembly, which began on September 11.
The Congress MLAs raised the issue inside the assembly and demanded the Speaker to discuss the issue.
However, the Speaker refused to discuss the issue.
Later, the Congress MLAs showed placards and staged a walkout in the assembly.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress party alleged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of helping his wife's firm to get a subsidy of Rs 10 crore from the central government.
Addressing a press briefing in the national capital, Congress national spokesperson Gourav Vallabh alleged that months after Bharatiya Janata Party leader Himanta Biswa Sarma was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam, in 2019, his wife--Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s firm Pride East Entertainments Private Limited has received Rs 10 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana.
"The Pride East Entertainments Private Limited, whose CMD is Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, describes itself as the leading regional media house connecting the entire northeast region. But a few months after the Chief Minister of Assam took the oath of office, this company bought 50 acres of agricultural land in Assam's Nagaon. After just a few days, this agricultural land turns into industrial land. Then this company applies in the 'Pradhanmantri Kisan Sampada Yojana' of the Government of India that it will do the work of food processing. For which he is also given a grant of Rs 10 crore," the Congress spokesperson said.
Apart from it, Congress' MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi also targeted Chief Minister Sarma over the issue.
Taking to social media platform, X, Gaurav Gogoi questioned whether the Central government's schemes are to enrich the BJP.
“The PM launched the Kisan Sampada Yojana to double the income of farmers. But in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma used his influence to help his wife’s firm get Rs 10 crore as part of a credit-linked subsidy. Are Central government schemes meant to enrich BJP?” Gaurav Gogoi wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Himanta Biswa Sarma swiftly reacted to the allegations, charged against him and said that neither the company nor his wife ever received any financial subsidies from the Centre.
"I would like to clarify that neither my wife nor the company she is associated with has ever received any financial subsidies from the Government of India," Sarma wrote on X while replying to Congress MP Gogoi.
