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- Published: September 14, 2023 18:27
New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday found himself in the eye of storm over allegations of receiving a grant of Rs 10 crore from Union government as ‘subsidy’.
Replying to the ‘baseless’ allegations, Assam CM today took to X, formerly called Twitter, and rebutted charges of receiving Rs 10 crore as subsidy from Centre and even offered to retire from public life if an ‘iota of evidence’ was found against him.
“If anyone can provide evidence, I am willing to accept any punishment including retirement from public life,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He reiterated that his wife Rinki Bhuyan Sarma and the company she is associated with didn’t receive any subsidy from the Centre.
What Cong MP claimed
Earlier, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi claimed that a company run by Sarma’s wife had received a grant of Rs 10 crore from the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industry, last year, for setting up a food processing unit.
Cong MP claimed that Sarma’s wife’s company received the credit linked subsidy on account of Sarma’s ‘closeness’ with the Centre. He also questioned why the Central govt schemes was ‘enriching’ the BJP leaders by extending ‘undue favours’.
Today, the Congress leader also shared a reply by Union Minister Piyush Goyal in Parliament to buttress his claim.
The whole day yesterday Himanta Biswa Sarma parroted one line regarding his wife’s firm. For his benefit I am stating the reply of Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in Parliament. Piyush Goyal’s reply has exposed the truth and both Ministers need to clarify. https://t.co/JiSBuLHBw9 pic.twitter.com/5SOueOPb11
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) September 14, 2023
CM Himanta rejects charges
Assam CM, in multiple X posts, refuted the claims that his wife’s company received Rs 10 crore as part of credit linked subsidy under Central govt scheme.
Countering Gogoi’s post about Union Minister’s reply, CM said, “The reply itself clarifies the fact that the Government of India has not released any funds to the mentioned company.”
The reply itself clarifies the fact that the Government of India has not released any funds to the mentioned company. I want to emphasize once again that neither my wife nor the company she is associated with has received or claimed any amount from the Government of India. If… https://t.co/70zQ1DGHTe
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 14, 2023