GUWAHATI: Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, mother of Kunki Chowdhury—the Assam Jatiya Parishad candidate from Guwahati Central—has sought intervention of the National Commission for Women (NCW) over “false, defamatory, and misleading statements” allegedly made by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma during the campaign, and the subsequent online harassment.
Sujata wrote to the chairperson saying, “I am a private individual with no active involvement in electoral politics,” adding that she was drawn into public discourse because her daughter was in the fray.
She said Sarma had alleged during the campaign that her social media activity “hurt the sentiments of Sanatani people,” that she harbours sympathies for Pakistan, supports “anti-national” individuals, and publicly consumes beef.
Calling the allegations “false, baseless, and malicious,” she said they appeared intended to defame her and politically target her daughter.
Sarma had earlier shown journalists a photograph allegedly depicting Sujata consuming beef. She clarified that the image was taken at The International Church of Cannabis in Denver, Colorado, USA.
“The object in the image is an artistic prop shaped like a conical cylinder, not any form of food. The allegation that I was ‘eating beef’ is factually incorrect and deliberately misleading. Such claims are deeply offensive and damaging to my reputation,” she wrote.
A purported supporting letter from Elevation Ministries, Inc states: “The item that she is putting up to her lips is a pillow, not any type of meat. This is a pillow designed for visitors of our museum to take pictures with at the entrance.”
Sujata said that following the allegations, her personal photographs—including those with her minor son—were widely circulated on social media without consent, subjecting her to harassment.
She urged the NCW to direct authorities to investigate the alleged online harassment, ensure removal of the content, and recommend appropriate legal action against Sarma.