PPE kit row: Himanta Biswa responds to corruption allegations, hits back at Kejriwal

Biswa has been alleged of giving a PPE contract to his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. The allegation has been further amplified by the Aam Aadmi Party (ANI)Premium
Biswa has been alleged of giving a PPE contract to his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. The allegation has been further amplified by the Aam Aadmi Party (ANI)
1 min read . Updated: 05 Jun 2022, 02:52 PM IST Livemint

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Amid the PPE kit row in Assam, chief minister Himata Biswa Sarma now attacked Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal regarding his 2020 tweet exchange with BJP MP Gautam Gambhir.

"Delhi CM suo moto offered to buy PPE kits from anywhere without tender. Why? Does his Deputy CM think the CM is corrupt as he asked someone to arrange PPE kits from somewhere immediately and said that Delhi Govt will buy them? No reference to any tender etc," Biswa wrote on Twitter.

Biswa has been alleged of giving a PPE contract to his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. The allegation has been further amplified by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Yesterday, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused Himanta Biswa of corruption. He claimed that Himanta, who was the health minister in 2020, awarded the contract to a firm in which Sarma's wife is a partner.

He further said, as per the contract one PPE kit was priced at 990, while the Assam government had the option to buy PPE kits at 600 per piece from other places

Sarma, meanwhile, claimed that those PPE kits were donated by his wife's company under its corporate social responsibility and the government did not pay anything.

Later, Sarma shared the letter from the company to Assam National Health Mission saying that the supply of the PPE kit should be treated as CSR.

"Assam NHM duly acknowledged the same. Manish bhai, this is not corruption, it’s humanity. My wife hasn’t committed a crime, she tried to help Assam at the time of its biggest crisis. Throwing muck at others will not be accepted. You will face legal consequences," Himanta tweeted.

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