Himanta-Gogoi face-off escalates over passport, asset allegations; here's how it started
As Assam heads into elections soon, controversies erupt between the chief minister and Congress leaders Khera and Gogoi
With Assam heading into elections in the coming days, the political battle between the BJP and the Congress has sharply intensified, turning into a war of allegations and counter-allegations.
What began as a press conference by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has now snowballed into a major controversy involving Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, his wife Rinki Bhuyan Sarma and senior Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.
The issue has brought in allegations of foreign citizenship, undisclosed assets, and even claims of foreign interference into the centre of Assam’s elections discourse.
How did the controversy begin?
The row started when Pawan Khera, during a press conference, alleged that Rinki Bhuyan Sarma holds three foreign passports—from the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda and Egypt.
He claimed this would violate Indian laws that do not permit dual citizenship.
Khera displayed the alleged passport copies, called the matter a “crime” and demanded an SIT probe.
Key allegations by the Congress party
Khera and later Gaurav Gogoi expanded the attack with multiple claims that Rinki Bhuyan Sarma possesses three foreign passports, owns alleged properties in Dubai and has links to a Wyoming-based company in the United States, involving the CM’s family. Congress also alleged a Rs 52,000 crore linkage, raising concerns over undisclosed wealth.
Gogoi raises land and local dealings
The Assam Congress president alleged irregular land acquisitions in Majuli.
He alleged the conversion of agricultural land into industrial use and also questioned the resorts and institutional land use.
Gaurav further demanded a probe by the ED and possible disqualification of the CM if the allegations are proven.
CM's response
Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly rejected all allegations and called them “baseless, fabricated, and politically motivated.”
He warned of criminal and civil defamation cases against Pawan Khera. He confirmed that an FIR was filed by his wife on Monday.
Counter-attack: “Foreign interference” claim by Sarma
The CM, in retaliation, alleged that the materials used by Congress were sourced from a Pakistani social media group. Pakistani media had unusually covered Assam politics, airing multiple shows favouring Congress.
The UAE passport image was “AI-manipulated” and termed the Egyptian passport claim as “completely fake.” He described the issue as a “crime against the country.”
As the war of words intensified between Sarma and Gogoi, Rinki Bhuyan Sarma, through her social media handle X, publicly denied all the allegations levied against her.
She asserted that no foreign assets or business interests existed for her or her family and that there were no connections to Dubai or any overseas holdings.
She also countered Gogoi, questioning whether his family owned any bank accounts in Pakistan.
Moreover, the chief minister alleged that the Congress had used a “toolkit” to fabricate a company in his wife’s name. He claimed that his team had replicated the same process by registering a company abroad to expose how such tactics could be misused.
“Tech is not just available to Congress, it is available to us too,” he said, while introducing a purported entity named “GauravElizabeth786.”
