Kiren Rijiju says Rahul Gandhi told Pawan Khera to target Himanta Sarma before Assam polls

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said he was informed by two Congress lawmakers that Rahul Gandhi had instructed party activist Pawan Khera to raise allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma before the upcoming state polls. Rijiju made the claim while addressing a separate dispute over a swimming incident, but he did not provide documentary evidence to substantiate the allegation.

According to Rijiju, the alleged instruction was aimed at targeting Sarma, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, to influence the electoral narrative in Assam. He said the information came from two unnamed Congress members who relayed the conversation to him.

The statement adds another layer to the political tension surrounding the Assam elections, where both the Congress and the BJP are intensifying their campaigns. No comment has been recorded from Rahul Gandhi or Pawan Khera regarding the allegation.

The claim remains unverified, and political analysts note that such accusations are common in the run‑up to elections, often used to question opponents' motives.