A major political controversy has broken out in Assam ahead of the assembly elections, with the BJP and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly rejecting allegations made by the Congress regarding his wife’s alleged foreign passports and undisclosed overseas assets. The ruling party has termed the claims baseless and fabricated, and has warned of strict legal action against Congress leader Pawan Khera.

The issue began when Khera, addressing a press conference, alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, holds multiple foreign passports. According to reports, he claimed that she possesses passports from the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt. These claims quickly triggered a political storm, drawing sharp reactions from the BJP leadership.

Responding to the allegations, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi dismissed the claims and questioned the authenticity of the documents being circulated. He highlighted what he described as clear inconsistencies and errors in the documents. “The documents released contain multiple glaring errors. The surname is wrongly written as 'Sharma' instead of 'Sarma' for Himanta Biswa Sarma. The photo appears sourced from public domain images. Nationality is shown as Egyptian while the passport is from Antigua and Barbuda... All of this clearly indicates that these are fabricated and misleading documents, seemingly created in frustration and desperation ahead of elections in the state,” Trivedi said.

Khera did not stop at the passport allegations. He also claimed that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma owns two properties in Dubai which were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit. He further alleged links to a company based in Wyoming, USA. Raising questions over possible concealment of information, Khera said, “Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the wife of the Assam Chief Minister, holds three passports,” and added, “Are they making preparations to flee the country in the event of an electoral defeat?”

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded firmly, rejecting all allegations and calling them politically motivated. He described the claims as false and intended to mislead the public ahead of elections. “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 flaws in the documents being circulated online. According to him, these included spelling mistakes, mismatched passport numbers, incorrect expiry dates, and even invalid QR codes. Sarma suggested that these issues indicated an attempt at digital manipulation. “Busting Congress' propaganda – serious discrepancies exposed. The documents being circulated show multiple glaring inconsistencies, suggesting a crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation,” he said in a post on X. He further added, “I categorically reject every allegation made by him.”

Escalating the matter, Sarma announced that he and his wife would take legal action against Khera. He made it clear that both criminal and civil defamation cases would be filed soon. “My wife and I will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours… He will be held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements,” he wrote. Expressing confidence in the legal system, he said, “I have complete faith in the judiciary… the law will take its due course.”

The Chief Minister also launched a strong attack on Khera, stating that the Congress leader’s campaign of misinformation would not last. He said, “I am confident that Pawan Khera's campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually, Mr Khera will go to Jail.”

Riniki Bhuyan Sharma also responded publicly, rejecting all allegations and criticising the Congress for spreading what she described as false information. She questioned the credibility of the claims and accused Khera of failing to verify facts before making serious allegations. “I expected a spokesperson of a national party to exercise basic due diligence, rather than circulate poorly fabricated images of imaginary passports and documents. I will now be letting the law take over. Criminal charges are being initiated. We can continue this in court,” she said on X.

The controversy has intensified political tensions in Assam at a crucial time, as the state prepares for upcoming elections. Both sides have taken strong positions, with the Congress raising questions over alleged financial and legal irregularities, while the BJP has countered by calling the claims false and defamatory. The matter now appears set to move into the legal arena, with defamation cases likely to follow soon.

As the situation unfolds, the issue has become a major talking point in Assam’s political landscape. The exchange of allegations and counter-allegations highlights the high stakes involved in the electoral battle. With legal proceedings expected, the controversy may continue to dominate headlines in the coming days.