Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has strongly denied allegations made by Congress leader Pawan Khera regarding multiple foreign passports and undisclosed overseas assets, calling the claims “fabricated” and legally actionable.In a statement shared on social media platform X on April 5, Sharma dismissed the documents circulated by Khera as “poorly fabricated” and said they lacked even basic verification. She alleged that the material appeared manipulated, including the possible use of artificial intelligence tools and photo editing techniques.In a sharply worded response, Sharma criticised Khera for what she described as irresponsible conduct expected from a spokesperson of a national party. “There is a lack not only in your claims but also in your AI generation and photoshopping,” she said, taking a direct swipe at the credibility of the allegations. She added that such serious accusations should have been backed by proper due diligence before being made public.
Sharma made it clear that she would pursue legal action. “I will now be letting the law take over. Criminal charges are being initiated. We can continue this in court,” she said, indicating that both civil and criminal proceedings are being prepared against Khera.The development came hours after Khera addressed a press conference at the All India Congress Committee in New Delhi. During the briefing, he alleged that Sharma possessed passports from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Antigua and Barbuda. He claimed that such a situation could amount to violations under Indian citizenship laws.Khera also raised questions about alleged overseas assets. He claimed that Sharma owned properties in Dubai that were not disclosed in the Chief Minister’s election affidavit. He further referred to a US-based firm, Asset Collective LLC, alleging links between the company and the Chief Minister’s family, and called for a detailed investigation into its financial activities.
The Congress leader urged the Election Commission to examine the matter and sought clarification from the government, arguing that the allegations raised serious concerns of transparency and compliance with legal norms.Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also rejected the allegations, calling them “malicious” and “politically motivated.” He said both he and his wife would initiate defamation proceedings within 48 hours. Sarma described the controversy as an attempt by the Congress to gain political ground ahead of the Assam Assembly elections.He maintained that the issue would be dealt with strictly through legal channels and expressed confidence that the facts would come out during judicial proceedings.