Guwahati, May 1 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday launched a sharp counterattack on senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi amid the continuing controversy surrounding party spokesperson Pawan Khera, asserting that he does not need "lessons on democracy, public discourse or decency" from anyone.
In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, Sarma said: "I don't need lessons on democracy, public discourse or decency from anyone, especially from A.M. Singhvi. Decency and him can never be in the same room."
The Assam Chief Minister said the real issue was not political debate but the alleged targeting of a private individual.
He claimed that a woman with no connection to politics had been subjected to character assassination on national television through the use of "forged documents from other countries".
Chief Minister Sarma said he was confident that the judiciary would eventually take note of the matter and ensure accountability.
"I am confident the courts will take note of this, sooner or later and the guilty will be punished for his brazen act of maligning a woman's character using false documents to influence electoral outcomes," he added.
He also accused Singhvi of avoiding a direct debate while making public comments on platforms where he was not present to respond.
"It's easy to speak on a platform where I am not present to respond. That is not called a debate -- it is simply avoiding a fair exchange, one which you were espousing," Chief Minister Sarma said.
Ending his statement on a combative note, the Chief Minister added that the matter was far from over.
"And let me be clear, this is just the beginning, not the end. Satyamev Jayate," he added.
The remarks came after Singhvi criticised Sarma's handling of the case involving Khera and referred to recent observations made by the Supreme Court.
Singhvi had said certain public statements linked to the controversy were inappropriate and had lowered democratic standards.
He also stressed the need to protect dissent and free speech in a democracy.
The latest exchange follows the Supreme Court granting anticipatory bail to Khera in connection with a case related to his alleged remarks concerning the Chief Minister's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.
A bench of Justices J.K. Maheshwari and A.S. Chandurkar granted relief subject to conditions after reserving its judgment earlier.
The war of words has further intensified political tensions between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress in Assam, with both sides continuing to trade charges over the politically sensitive matter.
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