In a dramatic escalation of political hostilities ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has alleged a “Pakistan-linked” conspiracy behind recent corruption charges leveled against his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.
The controversy erupted after Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera presented purported documents suggesting that the Chief Minister’s wife holds passports from three different countries—the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt—while also owning luxury real estate in Dubai. Under Indian law, dual citizenship is strictly prohibited, and holding multiple foreign passports would constitute a severe national security breach.
The “Pakistanis in Ajman” Connection
Addressing the press on Monday, Sarma dismissed the allegations as “malicious, fabricated, and digitally manipulated.” He claimed that the documents brandished by the Congress party were sourced from a Facebook group titled “Pakistanis in Ajman.”
”There is a clear Pakistani angle to this smear campaign,” Sarma stated. “The data used to forge these alleged passports was scraped from a social media group based in Pakistan. This is not just a political attack; it is a foreign-influenced misinformation campaign designed to destabilize the state’s leadership before the April 9 polls.”
Sarma further detailed that a reverse image search of the “passports” showed they were doctored versions of documents belonging to foreign nationals, including a woman from Egypt. He also debunked claims regarding a US-based company worth ₹52,000 crore, demonstrating how such LLCs can be registered online for a nominal fee using any name.
Legal and Political Fallout
The Chief Minister confirmed that his wife has filed criminal and civil defamation cases against Pawan Khera and other Congress leaders. He warned that using forged documents to influence an election is a grave offense that could carry a sentence of life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the Congress party, led by MP Gaurav Gogoi, has stood by the allegations, demanding an independent investigation into the Sarma family’s global assets. As the state moves toward the first phase of voting, the “passport row” has shifted the campaign focus from local development to a high-stakes battle over national loyalty and international intrigue.