Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife have strongly rejected Congress’ allegations of fake passports and foreign assets.
A political storm has erupted in Assam ahead of the Assembly elections, with the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly rejecting Congress allegations of the Prime Minister’s wife having foreign passports and assets abroad.
The BJP described the allegations as “fabricated” and vowed to take legal action against Congress leader Pawan Khera.
The controversy erupted after Pawan Khera claimed in a press conference that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, holds passports from the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda and Egypt, PTI reported.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi denied the Congress allegations, pointing out what he described as glaring discrepancies in the documents circulated.
“The documents revealed contain several glaring errors. The surname is misspelled as ‘Sharma’ instead of ‘Sarma’ by Himanta Biswa Sarma. The image appears to be sourced from publicly available photographs. The nationality is shown as Egyptian while the passport is from Antigua and Barbuda… All this clearly indicates that these documents are fabricated and misleading and appear to have been created out of frustration and desperation ahead of the elections in the state,” Trivedi said.
Congress claims multiple passports and undeclared assets
Congress leader Pawan Khera has claimed that Rinike Bhuyan Sharma owns two properties in Dubai which were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit and alleged links to a company in Wyoming, USA.
“Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of the Assam Chief Minister, holds three passports,” Khaira said, asking whether there was concealment of information in the poll documents.
He also claimed: “Are they preparing to flee the country in the event of electoral defeat?”
Sarma rejects the accusations and alleges “digital manipulation”
In response, Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma sharply rejected the accusations, calling them “malicious” and “politically motivated lies,” according to PTI.
“These are malicious, fabricated and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma said.
He also pointed out what he called “serious inconsistencies” in the documents, suggesting they indicated a “crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation.”
Sarma said the discrepancies in the documents included misspellings, mismatched passport numbers and expiration dates, and even invalid QR codes.
“Failed Congressional Propaganda – Serious Inconsistencies Revealed. The documents being distributed show multiple glaring inconsistencies, indicating a crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation,” he said in a post on X.
He added: “I categorically reject every claim he makes.”
Sarma said that he and his wife will initiate legal action against Khaira. “My wife and I will be filing criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours… and he will take full responsibility for his reckless and defamatory statements,” he wrote.
He also stressed: “I have complete confidence in the judiciary… the law will take its correct course.”
Escalating his attack, Sarma added: “I am confident that Pawan Khera’s campaign of lies is coming to an end. Ultimately, Mr. Khera will go to prison.”
Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, also rejected the allegations and said she would seek legal remedies.
She said on the
(With inputs from PTI)
Yamini CS is a senior content producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. It is part of the India News Bureau, where it works on a wide range of stories covering civic issues, developments in cities, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics and international affairs having an impact on India. Its role includes tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and physical sources, and presenting news in a clear and accessible format for a digital-first audience. Much of her work involves handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court rulings, political developments, civil unrest, protests, weather alerts, and unfolding national and international events. With live coverage, you focus on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they develop. Before moving to the wider India News Bureau, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru bureau of Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her anchoring in city reporting and increased her focus on citizen-focused journalism. She began her career as a Reuters correspondent after obtaining a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continues to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading in various genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which helps her maintain balance in the fast-paced newsroom environment.Read more
