Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused the Congress of colluding with Pakistan-based social media groups to influence the 9 April assembly elections, calling it a “crime against the nation.” He says his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma has filed an FIR after Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi allegedly used fabricated, foreign-sourced documents to level serious charges about her passports and overseas assets.
Political controversies are at its peak amid the escalating political scenario in Assam, as the state prepares to go on polls for the assembly election on April 9th. One such controversy targeted Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, with several accusations leveled towards him and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. The politician said that his wife has filed an FIR, after opposition leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi allegedly used ‘fabricated documents’ to influence public opinion.
Earlier, during a press conference, Khera and Gogoi had alleged that Sarma's wife Riniki holds valid passports from three nations, and possesses assets that weren’t disclosed in the leader’s political affidavit. Khera presented several documents to support his accusation, documents he claimed were sourced from a ‘foreign acquaintance.’
Addressing the matter at a press conference held on Monday, Assa, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma vehemently denied the claims. The BJP leader alleged that the documents the Congress used to make the allegations against his wife were sourced from a social media group "Pakistanis in Ajman." "I am concerned that they took the help of Pakistan. This is not a simple fraud case but a crime against the nation," he remarked.
Sarma claimed that Pakistan was attempting to influence the Assam elections, stating that the same narrative of “congress winning the election” was parroted in at least 11 TV talk shows.
Additionally, Sarma accused the Congress of using fabricated documents to influence the outcome of the upcoming state elections. Warning of legal retaliation, he added, "Normally, when you raise a certain issue before the public with fraudulent documents, it attracts 420 and 468 of the IPC. Of course, there is a correspondence provision in the new BNS. When you use these allegations with fabricated documents to influence a result or outcome of an election, then it attracts higher penalty provisions, and the punishment for that is life imprisonment. Yesterday, my wife filed an FIR, and I am sure that the police will register the case in the appropriate section of law and take necessary action."
In a press briefing held on Sunday, Congress communication department head Pawan Khera presented several documents, claiming that the Assam CM has deliberately concealed certain information in his political affidavit. According to Khera, the purported documents supported that Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, possesses three valid passports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda. He further alleged that she owns two properties in Dubai and a company registered in Wyoming, United States, with a budget of USD 34.67 billion.
Khera alleged that the undisclosed international assets suggest corruption and possible attempts to relocate abroad, if the election results were to go south. The Congress leader further urged for the arrest and disqualification of Himanta Biswa Sarma from the approaching Assembly elections.
Khera requested intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the claims.
Suggested reading:
Subscribe to our channels on YouTube and WhatsApp
Download our app on Play Store
