Sivasagar, Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma slammed the Congress for "not verifying" the documents based on which it brought allegations against him and his family.
Congress leader Pawan Khera had alleged that Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, had multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the Chief Minister's election affidavit.
The CM asserted that Khera had "run away" to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will "hunt him down even from 'pataal' (netherworld)".
"'Assam Police ko nahi jante hain.. Pataal se bhi ukhar ke le ayega' (They don't know the Assam Police... they will hunt him down even from the netherworld)," asserted Sarma.
An Assam Police team had earlier in the day visited the Delhi residence of Khera for questioning him in connection with the case.
Sarma also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming that he was "speaking like a madman" due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges.
"If they didn't know the truth, why did they put it out in public? They should have asked the foreign minister first," Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election campaign, when asked for his reaction to Kharge's assertion that the Union government should probe the allegations now.
Kharge, at a presser in Guwahati on Tuesday, said all agencies are under the Central government, which should probe the charges.
"They have already filed an FIR against Khera. Let them probe the matter. We will face the case as it progresses. We have sought probes by the ED or CBI into the allegations," he said.
Sarma added: "Kharge is ageing and is speaking like a 'pagal' (madman). You insult the people first and then say will ask the foreign minister (for verification)? Is he your 'damad' (son-in-law)?"
"I think Rahul Gandhi had given these documents to Khera, and if that is so, the case will then include Gandhi," he added.
Assam Police DCP Debojit Nath said that Khera was not found at his residence in Delhi. However, he said, a search was carried out and electronic devices were seized.
"I don't know why they have gone, as he (Khera) ran away yesterday itself. Till yesterday, Khera was saying arrest me, and now when police reached his home, he ran away," Sarma claimed.