Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday challenged Rahul Gandhi to make his passport details public and reveal which countries the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had visited.
Sarma was in Puri to offer prayers at the Jagannath temple. He said he was in the city for meetings and that he would join the BJP’s election campaign in Bengal from Thursday. Bengal goes to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
The chief minister used the visit to throw a “crazy person” barb at Rahul and raise questions about his foreign travels.
He said: “My passport is before the public. Before making allegations, Rahul Gandhi should remember he is not a God. He should be transparent about his passport and his foreign visits. I challenge Rahul Gandhi to present his passport in front of the media, and I will bring mine and those of my family members. Neither I nor any member of my family has a golden visa. Will Rahul Gandhi reveal which countries he had visited?”
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has alleged that the Assam chief minister’s wife, Rinki Bhuyan Sarma, has an UAE golden visa, multiple passports and offshore properties, which were not declared in the chief minister’s election affidavit.
The Sarmas have rejected the allegations as baseless.
The chief minister’s scathing remarks came after Rahul termed Sarma “most corrupt in the country” and alleged misuse of state power.
In a post on X, Rahul said: “The present CM of Assam is the most corrupt in the country. He will not escape the law. His abuse of state power to harass his political opponents and critics is against the Constitution.”
He further said the questions raised against Sarma must be probed, stressing that transparency and accountability are core constitutional values. Rahul also said the Congress stood with Pawan Khera.
On the Supreme Court staying Telangana High Court’s order granting Khera one-week transit anticipatory bail in the case related to the allegations, Sarma said in his view, Telangana High Court could not grant transit bail as Khera is not a resident of that state. “The law will take its own course,” he said.
On the issue of Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in Chandigarh, Sarma said: “I have no information.”
He exuded confidence that the BJP would return to power in Assam.
Elections to the 126-member Assam Assembly were held on April 9, and the results will be declared on May 4.
Additional reporting by PTI