NEW DELHI: A fresh political row erupted in Assam after Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife holds multiple foreign passports, prompting a sharp rebuttal and legal threat from the BJP leader.The controversy began with Khera’s press conference in Delhi, where he claimed to possess documents suggesting that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, held three passports. “We have documents showing that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, holds three passports. The first is a UAE Golden Card, the second an Antigua and Barbuda passport, and the third an Egyptian passport. Two of these belong to Islamic countries, yet they continue to claim religious adherence publicly,” he said.
Khera escalated the attack by linking the issue to broader allegations. “You are seeing photos of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife. Their names have been linked to several allegations such as land grabbing, misuse of temple funds, government subsidies, and chit fund scams. But today, the documents we are presenting are directly related to matters outside India,” he said. Calling it a “shocking detail”, he added that she had “not one, not two, but three passports, which have not expired”.
‘Khera will face consequences of his actions’: Himanta
Sarma dismissed the claims as politically motivated and said that both he and his wife will file a defamation case against Khera within 48 hours. “Today’s press conference by Pawan Khera reflects the deep frustration and panic within the Congress party. As Assam moves decisively towards a historic mandate, such desperate and baseless attacks only expose their sinking ground,” he wrote on X.“I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” he added, announcing legal action. “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.”“I have complete faith in the judiciary. Once the truth is established in a court of law, Shri Pawan Khera will face the consequences of his actions, and the law will take its due course,” he further wrote.
‘Embarrassment for Assam’: Gogoi
Assam Congress leader Gaurav also hit out at Himanta and called for further investigation. “Shocking allegations have come out related to Himanta Biswa Sarma. 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? More investigation is required,” he wrote, calling the chief minister an “embarrassment” who “will have to answer the questions and pay for his crime.”Sarma responded again, flagging technical inconsistencies across the alleged documents. In a detailed post, he listed what he called “serious discrepancies” that pointed to fabrication. These included a “surname mismatch — ‘SARMA’ used instead of the official ‘SHARMA’”, and a photograph that “appears to be a publicly available image, not a standard biometric capture”.Referring to an Antigua and Barbuda passport, he pointed to an “expiry date mismatch between printed field and MRZ”, while an Egyptian passport allegedly showed “passport number mismatch… spelling errors (‘Egyptiann’) and incorrect Arabic reference”.“These inconsistencies strongly indicate possible fabrication or digital manipulation. Truth will prevail. Those spreading misinformation will be held accountable,” Sarma wrote, adding, “I am confident that Pawan Khera’s campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually Mr Khera will go to Jail.”The escalating exchange comes just days before polling in Assam scheduled for April 9.
