Guwahati, May 13: Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, mother of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) candidate Kunki Chowdhury, announced on Tuesday that she will file a symbolic defamation suit of Re one against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of making “false allegations” during the recent assembly election campaign. She also demanded a public apology from Sarma, who was sworn in earlier in the day for his second consecutive term as chief minister.

In an open letter shared on X, Sujata described herself as a “common woman” whose name Sarma repeatedly invoked during his campaign. She alleged that his remarks amounted to character assassination and had endangered her family’s safety. “Hon’ble CM Sirjee, it may be noted that your defamation suit will be for an amount of Rs 1.00 (Rupee one only) along with a public apology from you,” she wrote, without specifying when the suit would be filed.

She accused Sarma of labeling her a “beef eater,” a non-Sanatani, and an “anti-India communist,” claiming these statements were made with malafide intent to build a political narrative. Sujata stressed that the only connection between her and Sarma was her daughter’s candidacy in the Guwahati Central constituency, where Kunki Chowdhury contested unsuccessfully against BJP’s Vijay Kumar Gupta.

Explaining her decision to speak out now, Sujata said she had refrained from responding earlier as “clarifying before a political hound does not make any sense.” However, she argued that as chief minister and an elected representative, Sarma is answerable to her and the public. While congratulating him on his victory, she asserted that citizens have the right to choose their religion, culture, food habits, and ideology.

She maintained that the allegations, though politically expedient for Sarma, had been life-altering for her as a private individual. “I have not only been defamed in public, but the photograph of my minor children being released in public domains has endangered their lives,” she claimed, signing off as a “Hindu by birth and culture and not by politics.”

Sujata had earlier approached the National Commission for Women after the April 9 polling, alleging that Sarma’s campaign remarks were “false, baseless and malicious.” In her April 11 complaint, she accused him of attempting to defame her and politically target her daughter, urging legal action against the chief minister for “inciting” people with “fake propaganda.”

There has been no immediate response from Sarma or the BJP regarding her announcement.