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Just days before Assam’s Assembly elections on April 9, a major political controversy has erupted over allegations involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. Congress leader Pawan Khera raised the issue during a press conference in New Delhi on April 5.
Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds three active foreign passports. He claimed these include a United Arab Emirates passport issued on March 14, 2022, valid until 2027, an Antigua and Barbuda passport issued on August 26, 2021, valid until 2031, and an Egypt passport issued on February 13, 2022, valid until 2029. He displayed what he said were images of these documents.
He further alleged that she owns two undisclosed properties in Dubai and has links to a Wyoming-registered U.S. company valued at ₹52,000 crore. According to Khera, the company is tied to hotel ventures involving the Chief Minister, his wife, and their son. He also questioned whether she holds an Indian passport, stating that Indian law does not allow dual citizenship. He added that the family may be “preparing to flee” if the BJP loses power.
In a direct remark, Khera said, “How can the Chief Minister, whose entire politics revolves around hatred against Muslims, have a wife who keeps passports of two Muslim countries?”
The controversy comes amid ongoing political tensions. Sarma has recently targeted Congress leaders, including a Special Investigation Team probe into Gaurav Gogoi over alleged foreign links. Political observers see Khera’s move as a counterattack ahead of the elections.
Sarma strongly rejected the allegations. In a detailed response shared on X, he called the claims “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies.” He and his wife announced both criminal and civil defamation cases against Khera within 48 hours.
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma also responded on X, stating, “I expected a spokesperson of a national party to exercise basic due diligence, rather than circulate poorly fabricated images of imaginary passports… AI generation and photoshopping mein bhi kami reh gayi. See you in court.” She later filed an FIR in Guwahati on April 5, seeking police action.
The Chief Minister pointed out several discrepancies in the documents shown by Khera. These include the surname written as “Sharma” instead of “Sarma,” the use of publicly available photographs instead of biometric images, and inconsistencies in UAE ID details. He also flagged a mismatch between nationality and machine-readable zone (MRZ) data, errors in passport numbers and expiry dates, invalid QR codes on property documents, and spelling mistakes such as “Egyptiann.”
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also dismissed the claims, calling them “crude digital manipulation born of electoral desperation.”
So far, the allegations have not been independently verified. Khera has said that more evidence will be released. Following the FIR, Assam Police’s Crime Branch has started examining the matter.
The controversy carries political risks for both sides. For Sarma and the BJP, the allegations challenge his image of strict governance and anti-corruption. Any failure to disclose foreign assets could raise legal questions under election laws.
For Congress, the move could backfire if the documents are proven false.
With elections just days away, the issue has added a new dimension to an already intense political contest. The outcome now depends on whether further evidence emerges or investigations establish the truth.
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