Guwahati, Jun 2 (PTI) Opposition parties in Assam on Thursday demanded a probe by central agencies into the alleged malpractices in the supply of PPE kits during COVID-19 pandemic by firms linked to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma"s wife.The Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) separately demanded a high-level probe into the alleged irregularities in the supply of PPE kits in 2020, when Sarma was the health minister in the previous BJP government in the state."The detailed investigation by two media organisations proved that rules were flouted in awarding multi-crore contracts to firms owned by Sarma"s wife and family business associates for supplying PPE kits and other anti-COVID-19 goods," state Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said.Quoting the media reports, he claimed that supply orders were placed with firms owned by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, the chief minister"s wife, at 65 per cent higher rates than the market prices."If PM Narendra Modi has courage and really believes in zero tolerance towards corruption, then order an impartial probe by CBI or Enforcement Directorate against all irregularities committed by Sarma and his family," Borah said.Wearing PPE kits, Congress workers also demonstrated in Guwahati and demanded a probe into the allegations by either CBI or ED.Raijor Dal Working president Bhasco De Saikia said the particular "expose" was "just the tip of the iceberg" in the entire gamut of corruption related to COVID-19 management."If this corruption is thoroughly investigated, then many new angles will come to light. That is why we demand a CBI probe into these cases," he said.Holding a separate press meet, AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged that Sarma"s wife and his close business associates became richer at a time when the entire world was stuck indoors to save human life."We have sent a memorandum to the prime minister and demanded an investigation into the irregularities in the supply of COVID-19 items in Assam. The probe should find out all the malpractices by Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and her business partners," he added.Meanwhile, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma refuted any wrongdoing in supplying the PPE kits to the National Health Mission (NHM)."A website called The Wire has come out with an unfounded accusation with regard to my supply of PPE kits to the NHM. In the first week of the pandemic, not a single PPE kit was available in Assam."Taking cognisance of the same, I reached out to a business acquaintance, and delivered around 1,500 PPE kits to the NHM with a lot of effort. Later on, I wrote to the NHM to treat the same as a part of my CSR," she said in a statement on Twitter, uploading a purported picture of NHM acknowledgement of the same.She said that she did not take a single penny for supplying the PPE kits and asserted that she has always been transparent about giving back to society irrespective of her husband"s political standing. PTI TR SOM SOM