The Opposition Congress on Sunday alleged that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife possessed passports of three countries and that he had concealed information about her properties abroad.
BJP strongman Sarma rejected the allegations as “fabricated” and threatened legal action within 48 hours, but the Congress held its ground, repeating the claims at a news meet in Guwahati in the evening after having first made the “revelation” at a media conference in New Delhi at noon.
Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, held passports of the UAE, the twin-island nation Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt, properties in Dubai and a company in Wyoming, US.
Khera levelled the allegations days ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections in Assam which has a BJP-led state government since 2016.
Khera also showed purported documents to support his allegations and demanded that the Election Commission cancel Sarma’s nomination for allegedly concealing information in his poll affidavit. Sarma is contesting from the Jalukbari seat in Guwahati.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma’s entire politics is predicated on hatred against Muslims; yet, his wife holds passports from two Muslim countries?” Khera alleged. “Are they making preparations to flee the country in the event of an electoral defeat?”
Home minister Amit Shah must answer whether he would form an SIT to probe these matters, Khera said, adding Sarma should not remain out of jail for a single day and his nomination must be cancelled.
Sarma rejected the allegation in the afternoon, claiming Khera’s news meet “reflects the deep frustration and panic within the Congress party” as Assam “moves decisively towards a historic mandate”.
“I categorically reject every allegation made by him. These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma said, adding he and his wife “will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours against” Khera, who would be “held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements”.
Sarma, listing the “discrepancies” in the documents circulated by Khera, posted on X: “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 the Congress used “Sarma” as his wife’s surname instead of “Sharma”. He also alleged mismatches, inconsistencies and spelling errors (“Egyptiann”) in the copies of the passports circulated by Khera and expressed confidence that Khera’s ‘’campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually Mr Khera will go to Jail’’.
Sarma’s wife said she expected a spokesperson of a national party to exercise basic due diligence, rather than “circulate poorly fabricated images of imaginary passports and documents’’. She added that “criminal charges are being initiated. We can continue this in court’’.
Khera, in his second news meet in Guwahati in the presence of Assam PCC chief Gaurav Gogoi, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and Jharkhand Congress leader Bandhu Tirkey, repeated the charges, adding: “This is just the trailer. Picture abhi baki hai bhai.”
Assam PCC chief Gogoi said they would move the Election Commission with the charges and apprise Prime Minister Narendra Modi about them too.
