PPE Kit Row: Assam CM Himanta's Wife Files Rs 100 Cr Defamation Suit Against Manish Sisodia

Manish Sisodia alleged in a press conference on June 4 that the Assam government had ordered the company of the Chief Minister's wife and sons to buy PPE kits at a higher price than the market in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic.

New Delhi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma filed a defamation case against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia at a local court in Guwahati. While filing a civil case of defamation in the court of Gauhati Kamrup Civil Judge, a demand of Rs 100 crore has been made for damages. Manish Sisodia alleged in a press conference on June 4 that the Assam government had ordered the company of the Chief Minister's wife and sons to buy PPE kits at a higher price than the market in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma's lawyer Padmadhar Nayak said he expected the case to be listed by Wednesday. Hemant had said after the allegation on behalf of the AAP leader he would take legal action. In his clarification, the Chief Minister of Assam said, "At a time when the entire country was facing the worst pandemic in over 100 years, Assam hardly had any PPE Kits. My wife took the courage of coming forward and donated around 1,500 PPE kits free of cost to the government to save lives. She didn't take a single penny."

Another advocate Kishor Kumar Dutta told PTI that Sisodia while addressing a press meet on June 4 in New Delhi had made "some allegations that damaged the reputation and position" of Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

"Sisodia unnecessarily dragged the name of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also into the controversy. That is why we have claimed that damage," he added.

Refuting the allegations of the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Sarma said that the PPE kits were donated to the government and his wife's company did not pay any bills for it. Tagging the bill of JCB Industries, Sisodia wrote on Twitter, "Honorable Chief Minister Himanta Biswa ji! Here is your wife's contract to buy 5000 kits in the name of JCB Industries at 990/- per kit... Tell me, is this paper false? Is it not corruption to give a tender purchase order to your wife`s company as a health minister?"

Clarifying on Sisodia's allegations, the Chief Minister's wife wrote, "In the first week of the pandemic, not a single PPE kit was available with Assam. Taking cognizance of the same, I reached out to a business acquaintance and delivered about 1500 PPE kits to NHM with a lot of effort. Later on, I wrote to the NHM to treat the same as part of my CSR. I didn't take a single penny out of the supply. I have always been transparent about my belief in giving back to society, irrespective of my husband's political standing."