Himanta Biswa Sarma dismissed the charges as “malicious and fabricated,” offering to make documents public if required. The Assam CM said he would file criminal and civil defamation cases within 48 hours, escalating the political confrontation.
BY PC Bureau
April 5, 2026: With Assam’s political climate intensifying ahead of elections, a fresh controversy has erupted after Congress leader Pawan Khera levelled serious allegations against the family of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, prompting a sharp rebuttal and legal warning.
Addressing a press conference, Khera alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds multiple foreign passports. “We have documents to show that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds passports of the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda,” Khera said. He added, “How can an Indian citizen hold multiple foreign passports when Indian law does not permit dual citizenship?”
Khera further claimed, “There is a UAE Golden Card issued in Abu Dhabi in March 2022, an Antigua and Barbuda passport issued in August 2021, and an Egyptian passport issued in February 2022.” Questioning the political implications, he said, “Is the Union Home Minister aware of these documents, and how is this being allowed?”
Assam CM @himantabiswa‘s wife has 3 passports.All 3 are from different countries: United Arab Emirates,Egypt and Antigua-Barbuda.
The wife of a man whose politics starts with hating Muslims has passports from two Muslim countries.
Does @AmitShah know this?pic.twitter.com/MjbiHKKhqz— Sivangi Choudhury (Mondal) (@originalsibani) April 5, 2026
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The allegations triggered an immediate response from Sarma, who dismissed them as “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies.” Speaking to reporters on April 5, the Chief Minister said he was not obligated to respond to such claims but added that he would be willing to make both his and his wife’s passports public if required by the people of Assam.
Sarma also announced that he would initiate criminal and civil defamation proceedings against Khera within 48 hours. In a post on X, he said the Congress leader would be held accountable for what he termed “reckless and defamatory statements.”
Escalating his counterattack, the Chief Minister drew comparisons with what he described as unverified allegations involving Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Gaurav Gogoi, arguing that similar claims could be made without evidence to target political opponents.
“I have complete faith in the judiciary. Once the truth is established in a court of law, appropriate action will follow,” Sarma said, reiterating his intent to pursue legal remedies.
The controversy has quickly taken center stage in Assam’s election discourse, reflecting the increasingly combative tone of the campaign. With both the ruling BJP and the Congress stepping up attacks, the issue is likely to further polarize political narratives in the state in the run-up to the polls.
