GUWAHATI – A significant political controversy has erupted in the wake of the Assam Assembly elections as Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, mother of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Kunki Chowdhury, announced her intention to file a defamation suit against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
In an open letter posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, May 12 just after the Chief Minister’s swearing-in ceremony, Chowdhury accused Sarma of a targeted campaign of “public humiliation” and “malafide intention” during the recent election trail.
Allegations of Character Assassination
Sujata Chowdhury, who describes herself as a “common woman,” alleged that the Chief Minister repeatedly mentioned her name in election rallies to politically damage her daughter, Kunki Chowdhury. Kunki contested the Guwahati Central Assembly seat as an opposition alliance candidate, ultimately losing to the BJP’s Vijay Kumar Gupta.
According to the letter, the Chief Minister allegedly labeled Sujata with several inflammatory tags, including:
- “Beef eater”
- “Non-Sanatani”
- “Anti-India Communist”
“The remarks were made without knowing anything about my personal life, religion, culture, or ideology,” Chowdhury stated, asserting that every Indian citizen holds the constitutional right to choose their own food habits, faith, and political leanings.
Beyond personal insults, the controversy has taken a darker turn regarding the privacy of minors. Chowdhury alleged that photographs of her minor children were circulated publicly during the campaign, which she claims put her family’s safety at risk.
She had previously approached the National Commission for Women (NCW) with a formal complaint, characterizing Sarma’s statements as “false, baseless, and malicious.”
The proposed defamation suit will seek:
- A public apology from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
- Symbolic compensation of Re 1, emphasizing that the legal battle is over dignity rather than financial gain.
While Sujata Chowdhury began her letter by congratulating Sarma on his electoral victory, she maintained that victory does not grant a license for character assassination. She clarified that her intellectual interests—reading or sharing articles on various subjects—should not be used to manufacture a “political identity” against her.
“Reading, writing, or sharing articles on different subjects should not automatically determine a person’s beliefs,” she wrote, concluding with a reminder of the role of democratic accountability and the rights of citizens to challenge those in power.
The Chief Minister’s office has yet to issue an official response regarding the open letter or the impending legal action.
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