Assam Chief Minister and Wife Initiate Legal Proceedings Against Congress Leader
In a significant development from Guwahati, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared on Sunday that he and his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, will commence legal proceedings against Congress leader Pawan Khera. This action follows Khera's allegations that Bhuyan Sharma possesses multiple foreign passports and undisclosed properties in Dubai, claims that have ignited a political firestorm just days before Assam's voting on April 9.
Congress Leader's Allegations and CM's Dismissal
Pawan Khera, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, asserted that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three passports from the UAE, Antigua-Barbuda, and Egypt, with expiration dates in 2027, 2031, and 2029 respectively. He further accused her of owning two properties in Dubai that were allegedly omitted from Sarma's election affidavit. In a forceful rebuttal, Chief Minister Sarma labeled these allegations as fabricated, stating, "Busting Congress' propaganda—serious discrepancies exposed. The documents being circulated show multiple glaring inconsistencies, suggesting a crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation."
Police Verification and Evidence of Fabrication
Sarma revealed that Assam Police, utilizing diplomatic channels, has verified the UAE passport as fake. "Even a common person can verify on an official UAE website," he noted, adding that verification for the other countries is expected within days. The Chief Minister highlighted numerous errors in the alleged passports, including mismatched expiry dates, invalid QR codes, spelling mistakes such as 'Egyptiann,' and inconsistencies in the Machine Readable Zone country codes. "These inconsistencies strongly indicate possible fabrication or digital manipulation. Truth will prevail. Those spreading misinformation will be held accountable. Eventually Mr Khera will go to jail," Sarma emphasized.
Wife's Response and Legal Action Plans
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma responded to the allegations, calling the Congress press conference "laughable" and filled with false information, weak AI-generated content, and poor photo editing. "I had not expected that a national party and its spokesperson would resort to such low-quality editing and fabricated, imaginary passports," she stated. Bhuyan Sharma confirmed that work has begun to file a criminal case, asserting, "I will speak about this in court."
Congress Counterclaims and Political Repercussions
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi countered by describing the allegations as grave, noting that holding multiple passports and failing to disclose properties constitutes a criminal offence. "Shocking allegations have come out related to Himanta Biswa Sarma. How much money have they sent from Assam to their bank accounts abroad? More investigation is required," Gogoi stated. He claimed that defamation cases are tools to silence voices and announced plans to move the Election Commission to disqualify Sarma's candidature for not disclosing his wife's assets. Additionally, they intend to appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an Enforcement Directorate probe against Sarma.
Khera's Reiteration and Demands
Later in the evening, Pawan Khera traveled to Guwahati and, in a joint press conference with Gaurav Gogoi and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, reiterated his claims. He demanded that Sarma declare in an affidavit that neither he nor his family members own any property outside India and that his wife does not hold passports from other countries. This escalation underscores the intense political rivalry as Assam approaches its electoral date, with both sides digging in for a legal and public relations battle.
