New Delhi/Guwahati – A big political fight has started in Assam just days before the assembly elections. Congress leader Pawan Khera held a press conference in Delhi and said that the wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma holds three foreign passports. He also claimed that some properties in Dubai were not mentioned in the chief minister’s election papers. The chief minister has called all this “malicious lies” and “digital forgeries”. He says he and his wife will file cases in court against Pawan Khera.
This news came out on Sunday when the campaign for Assam assembly elections is at its peak. Voting will happen in one phase on April 9 across 126 seats. The claims have added more heat to the already tense polls between Congress and the BJP-led alliance.
The Allegations: Three Passports and Global Assets
Pawan Khera, who is the head of media and publicity for the All India Congress Committee, showed some papers at the press meet. He said these documents prove that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, wife of Himanta Biswa Sarma, has three passports from different countries. According to Khera, the first is a UAE Golden Card passport issued on March 14, 2022, and valid until March 13, 2027. The second is from Antigua and Barbuda, issued on August 26, 2021, and valid until August 25, 2031. The third is from Egypt, issued on February 13, 2022, and valid until February 12, 2029.
Khera said these passports are still active and not expired. He asked how an Indian citizen can hold passports from three countries when Indian law does not allow dual citizenship. He also pointed out that two of these countries are Muslim-majority nations. “Himanta Biswa Sarma’s entire politics is based on hatred against Muslims. Yet his wife holds passports from two Muslim countries and Antigua and Barbuda,” Khera said. He questioned if Riniki Bhuyan Sarma still has an Indian passport and if she is an Indian citizen.
Khera went further and said Riniki Bhuyan Sarma owns two properties in Dubai that were not listed in Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent election affidavit. He also alleged that she has a company registered in Wyoming in the United States, and the names of the couple and their son are linked to it. “When a spouse contests an election or the family is in public life, these assets must be shown in the affidavit. But there is no mention of these Dubai properties,” Khera told reporters. He demanded that the Election Commission of India look into the matter and even cancel the chief minister’s nomination papers.
The Congress leader said the documents came to the party from sources outside India. He linked it to other old talks about land issues and funds but said today’s focus was on these foreign matters. “Are they preparing to leave the country if they lose the election?” Khera asked. Assam Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi also reacted and called for a full probe into passports, properties, and any foreign bank accounts.
This is the full picture of what Congress said today. No other proof or official check has come out yet from any government body.
The Rebuttal: ‘Malicious Lies and Digital Forgery’
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma did not stay quiet. He took to social media and held talks with reporters. He called the claims “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies”. Sarma said these attacks show how desperate Congress is as Assam heads for a big win for his side.
“I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma wrote. He said both he and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma will file criminal and civil defamation cases against Pawan Khera within the next 48 hours. “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,” he added.
Sarma pointed out clear mistakes in the papers shown by Khera. He said the documents have many errors that prove they are fake. For example, the surname is written as “SARMA” in some places but the correct spelling used by the family is “SHARMA”. The photos do not look like official biometric passport pictures and seem taken from public sources. In the Antigua and Barbuda passport, the expiry date does not match between the printed part and the machine-readable zone. The Egyptian passport has spelling mistakes like “Egyptiann” and wrong Arabic text. There are also issues with passport numbers and QR codes that do not work.
“These inconsistencies strongly indicate possible fabrication or digital manipulation,” Sarma said. He told the people of Assam not to believe such things and stay focused on the real issues of development.
Riniki Bhuyan Sarma also spoke out on social media. She said she expected better from a national party leader. “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 posted.
Sarma also said he has full faith in the courts. Once the truth comes out, Khera will face the consequences, he added. The chief minister expressed confidence that his alliance will win more than 100 seats in the coming polls.
Political Implications for April 9 Polls
The timing of these claims is important. Assam is going to vote on April 9, 2026, in a single-phase election. Nominations are already filed, and campaigning is in full swing. Himanta Biswa Sarma is a strong face of the BJP in the state and has been chief minister since 2021. His wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma is known for her work in media and business in Assam.
In the past few months, there has been back-and-forth between Congress and BJP leaders on personal issues. Sarma’s side had raised questions about some Congress leaders’ family backgrounds earlier. Now Congress has hit back with these claims. But all reports from major newspapers like The Hindu, Times of India, and Indian Express make it clear that these are only allegations so far. No police or Election Commission has confirmed anything.
Indian law is clear that the country does not allow dual citizenship. Every citizen must follow rules on disclosing assets in election papers. But until an official body checks the documents, nothing is final.
The people of Assam are watching this closely. Many see it as part of the usual poll-time drama where parties try to put pressure on each other. Sarma has asked voters to ignore such things and think about the work done by his government.
No new updates have come after the Sunday statements. As of now, the defamation cases are expected to be filed soon. The Election Commission has not yet given any reaction on Khera’s demand for probe.
This story is developing, and only time and courts will tell what is true. For now, it remains a war of words between the two big parties in Assam.
FAQs
Q1: What are the main allegations against Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife?
The Congress alleges that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma holds three foreign passports (UAE, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt) and owns two unlisted properties in Dubai and a multi-billion dollar company in Wyoming, USA.
Q2: How has the Assam Chief Minister responded?
CM Sarma has categorically denied all charges, calling the documents “digitally manipulated.” He has pointed out several errors in the documents, such as spelling mistakes and invalid QR codes, and is filing a defamation suit.
Q3: Can an Indian citizen hold multiple foreign passports?
India does not allow dual citizenship. If an Indian citizen acquires the passport of another country, they must surrender their Indian passport. Holding multiple foreign passports while being an Indian resident would be a serious legal violation.
Q4: What is the demand of the Congress party?
The Congress is demanding that the Election Commission of India cancel Himanta Biswa Sarma’s election nomination for failing to disclose these assets and citizenships in his mandatory poll affidavit.
Q5: When are the Assam elections taking place?
The polling for the 126-member Assam Assembly is scheduled for April 9, 2026. The results will be declared on May 4, 2026.