Himanta Biswa Sarma barred from campaigning; Denies reports of challenging ban

Assam Minister, BJP leader, and poll strategist Himanta Biswa Sarma has denied reports of challenging the campaigning bar imposed on him by the Election Commission yesterday night.

"I have accepted this order with all due respect to the Election Commission. The media reports are false. I have not moved the Gauhati High Court or any other court against it. I have cancelled all my campaign schedules," Mr Sarma told NDTV on Saturday, following reports of him moving the Gauhati High Court challenging the EC's 48-hour campaigning bar imposed on him yesterday night for threatening opposition leader Hagrama Mohilary of the Bodoland People's Front. The poll panel further barred Sarma from addressing public meetings, roadshows, media interviews, public processions, and public rallies for 48 hours with immediate effect.

The poll panel's action followed a complaint filed by the Congress, an ally of the BPF, on March 30th alleging that Sarma had threatened to send Mohilary to jail using the National Investigating Agency, following which EC issued him a show-cause notice. Sarma had submitted a reply on Friday, which was deemed 'unsatisfactory', following which the EC barred the BJP's star campaigner ahead of the final phase of the Assam Assembly polls on April 6th.