Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Tuesday that he has filed a defamation case against senior Congress leaders Jitendra Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, and Gaurav Gogoi seeking ₹500 crore in damages. Sarma said the allegations against him were false, malicious, and defamatory.
In an X-post, Sarma said the allegations made at the press conference had severely damaged his reputation. He wrote, “Today, I have filed a defamation case seeking damages of ₹500 crore against Congress leaders Jitendra Singh, Bhupesh Baghel, and Gaurav Gogoi for making false, malicious, and defamatory allegations against me through a press conference.” This legal action follows a press conference held on February 4 at Rajiv Bhavan, the headquarters of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in Guwahati, where Congress leaders jointly launched a website called whoishbs.com.
Speaking to the media, Congress leaders claimed that the website collects information related to the Chief Minister’s assets, land holdings, and financial interests. They alleged that the information provided on the portal is based on public records, election affidavits, and documents.
Assam Congress President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi alleged in the press conference that the Chief Minister’s family members have allegedly encroached upon approximately 12,000 bighas of land in various parts of Assam. He said the Congress party is demanding answers from Sarma regarding the properties and wealth shown on the website.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed that there were serious discrepancies in Sarma’s asset declarations over the past few years, raising questions about transparency and accountability. Congress General Secretary Jitendra Singh said the website was launched to “put the facts before the people” and said the party would continue to pursue the issue. Congress leaders described the initiative as part of their election campaign, aimed at exposing the state government’s failures and alleged abuses of power. They also claimed that the website experienced technical difficulties shortly after its launch.
Chief Minister Sarma responded strongly, calling the allegations baseless, politically motivated, and defamatory. He stated that all his assets had been declared in accordance with legal regulations and dismissed the Congress’s claims as an attempt to tarnish his image.
On the same day, February 9, Sarma said he had decided to seek legal recourse to protect his reputation and challenge the irresponsible and misleading allegations leveled in the public domain. A day later, he has now taken the legal route.
