New Delhi: The Congress Party on Sunday levelled serious allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed that Riniki holds active passports from three countries: Egypt, the UAE, and Antigua & Barbuda.
In response, Sarma categorically denied the allegations, called them politically motivated, and announced plans to file defamation cases against Khera. He also termed the move as “Congress’s frustration” with Assam’s political shift.
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, Khera said, “How can a citizen of India hold passports from three different countries? The government must clarify this immediately, as dual or multiple citizenship is prohibited under Indian law.”
Khera stated that Sarma’s entire political strategy relies on anti-Muslim propaganda, yet he allows his wife to have citizenship in two Muslim countries. “Himanta Sarma questions the loyalty of Indian citizens. Ironically, his wife holds active passports from two Muslim-majority countries, Egypt and the UAE,” he said.
Displaying the documents in an audiovisual presentation, the Congress leader alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma owns properties in Dubai that were not disclosed in the CM’s mandatory election affidavit. “One property is linked to the M Group, while another is registered in Riniki Bhuyan Sharma’s name. Why did the Assam CM fail to reveal these assets during the nomination process?” Khera questioned.
He also highlighted a company called Asset Collective LLC, registered in the state of Wyoming, USA, with Sarma and his son as partners. “The company reportedly has a budget of 3,467 crore US dollars with plans to invest in hotel projects. In Indian currency, this amounts to approximately Rs 52,000 crore,” Khera said.
He added that such a company was registered in Wyoming due to its tax-free benefits, and called for transparency.
Khera urged the Election Commission to thoroughly investigate the matter. “The people of Assam deserve clarity. How can the CM’s wife hold multiple foreign passports and significant foreign assets while contesting elections in India?” he asked.
In reaction to the Congress press conference, Assam CM Sarma said that the move reveals the party’s frustration ahead of the assembly polls and firmly denied all the allegations, calling them politically motivated and baseless.
“I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma posted on X. “My wife and I will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours against Shri Pawan Khera. He will be held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements,” he adds.
Separately, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused Sarma of fostering division and corruption.
Taking to X, he wrote, “Himanta Sarma is the most corrupt and most communal Chief Minister in the country. Himanta Sarma has betrayed and misled the people of Assam – the proof is before the public. The people of Assam will never forgive his corruption – the punishment is certain.”
Moments after Khera’s shocking allegations against Sarma, Congress’s Assam chief Gaurav Gogoi took to X and demanded a probe.
Holding multiple passports and failure to disclose properties is a grave and criminal offence. How much money have they sent from Assam to their bank accounts abroad?” he wrote. “More investigation is required. Himanta Biswa Sarma has become an embarrassment for the state of Assam and India. He will have to answer the questions and pay for his crime.”
Dismissing Khera’s allegations, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “This is a desperate and flustered attempt to alter the trajectory of an impending defeat by presenting fanciful and concocted stories at the very peak of the election season.”
The Congress has engaged in an “utterly reprehensible and despicable act” by making a “completely baseless” allegation against the Assam chief minister’s wife using “fabricated documents”, the BJP Rajya Sabha MP charged.
“It’s extremely condemnable,” he said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.
Trivedi claimed that the documents shown by Khera had many discrepancies, including the wrong spelling of surname and the UIDAI number of his wife.
“The name of the company they referred to was established on April 3, about 36 hours back. The QR of the deed doesn’t match with any record,” he said, showing some documents at the press conference.
