Defamation Lawsuit: Assam CM's Wife Sues Congress MP Over Subsidy Allegations

GUWAHATI: Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has initiated legal proceedings against Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Gaurav Gogoi. The defamation suit centers around Gogoi's accusations that Bhuyan Sharma's company, Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd, received a substantial subsidy of Rs 10 crore from the central government. The case is scheduled for a hearing on September 26, 2023, before the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) in Kamrup Metro, Guwahati.

Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, who serves as the Chief Managing Director (CMD) of her company, had previously declared her intent to pursue legal action against Gogoi, characterizing his statements as a slanderous campaign aimed at tarnishing the reputation of an Assamese enterprise led by a woman entrepreneur. She vehemently denied the allegations and emphasized that her company's eligibility for government-supported programs and incentive schemes is no different from any other qualifying enterprise.

Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd maintains that it has neither sought nor received any government subsidy in the specific case related to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana, despite fulfilling all the requisite eligibility criteria.

The feud between Assam's Chief Minister and Gaurav Gogoi escalated after the latter publicly claimed that Chief Minister Sarma had facilitated a substantial Rs 10 crore subsidy for Bhuyan Sharma's company through the central government's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana. However, Chief Minister Sarma vehemently refuted these allegations, asserting that his wife had not benefited from any such subsidy.

Gaurav Gogoi, in support of his claims, shared a screenshot from the Ministry of Food Processing website, ostensibly displaying the central government's approval of a Rs 10 crore grant for Riniki Bhuyan's company. He further presented a parliamentary response from Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, as corroborating evidence.

This legal battle has gained significant attention in Assam's political landscape, as it involves prominent figures from both the ruling party and the opposition. The upcoming court hearing on September 26, 2023, is anticipated to shed further light on the allegations and provide clarity on the contentious subsidy issue.

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