GUWAHATI: Congress leader Pawan Khera on Sunday stoked controversy by alleging that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, possesses passports of three countries, including two Islamic nations, and owns luxury properties in Dubai, with investments worth several lakh crore rupees in the United States.
Sarma dismissed the claims outright and threatened to sue Khera.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Khera said his allegations were based on documents received from reliable sources abroad.
He claimed that such a major revelation against a sitting Chief Minister and his family had never occurred in the political history of independent India.
According to a Congress statement, Khera alleged that one of the three passports is a “Golden Card” issued in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on March 14, 2022, which is valid until March 13, 2027.
“The second is a passport from Antigua and Barbuda, issued on August 26, 2021, valid until August 25, 2031. The third is a passport from Egypt, issued on February 13, 2022, valid until February 12, 2029,” the statement further stated.
Khera urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clarify whether a Special Investigation Team would be constituted to probe the matter.
Sarma said the press conference by Khera reflected deep frustration and panic within the Congress.
“As Assam moves decisively towards a historic mandate, such desperate and baseless attacks only expose their sinking ground. I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma said.
He further stated that he and his wife would file both criminal and civil defamation cases against the Congress leader within the next 48 hours, adding that Khera would 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,” the Chief Minister said.
Stating that the people of Assam would not be misled by such propaganda, he said the BJP-NDA remained focused, determined, and confident of securing a decisive mandate of more than 100 seats. Assam has a total of 126 Assembly seats.
