Himanta Biswa Sarma rejects Congress passport allegations, vows defamation case against Pawan Khera ahead of April 9 state polls

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday categorically rejected a series of allegations made by Indian National Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera, describing the documents circulated against his family as “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies” and announcing that both criminal and civil defamation proceedings would be filed against Khera within 48 hours. The confrontation unfolded with four days remaining before Assam’s single-phase state assembly elections, scheduled for 9 April 2026.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Pawan Khera claimed that documents received by the Congress party from supporters abroad indicated that the Chief Minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, possessed three active passports purportedly issued by the United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt. Khera framed the matter as a potential violation of Indian citizenship law, which does not permit dual or multiple citizenship for Indian nationals, and called on the Election Commission of India to examine the allegations and take cognisance of the matter.

How did Pawan Khera’s press conference lay out the specific allegations against Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma?

Khera alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma owned properties in Dubai that were not disclosed in the Chief Minister’s mandatory election affidavit, stating that one property was linked to the M Group while another was registered in her name, and questioned why these overseas assets were not declared during the nomination process.

Khera presented a document dated 5 May 2025 that he described as showing the annual meeting minutes and resolutions of a Wyoming-registered limited liability company named RINIKIBHUYANASARMA asset collective LLC. The document referenced a proposed budget of 3,467,890,123 United States dollars and a resolution to establish a hotel business under the name RINIKIBHUYANHOTELS. Khera identified a signatory entity named HrinikiNandi LLC as a company member, alleging it constituted a shell company assembled from the names of Himanta Biswa Sarma, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, and their son Nandil.

Khera explained the significance of Wyoming as a registration jurisdiction by noting that the state has no income or franchise tax, and that limited liability companies registered there are not subject to income tax, making it a favoured location for privacy and asset protection. Khera also called on the Chief Election Commissioner to cancel Himanta Biswa Sarma’s candidature, arguing that holding multiple passports and failing to disclose properties in a mandatory election affidavit constituted grave and criminal offences under Indian law.

Why did Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma call the Congress documents fabricated and what specific inconsistencies did he identify?

Himanta Biswa Sarma responded within hours through a detailed statement on the social media platform X. Sarma rejected every allegation as “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam” and stated that both he and his wife would file criminal and civil defamation cases against Pawan Khera within 48 hours, expressing complete faith in the judiciary and stating that once truth was established in a court of law, Khera would face the consequences of his actions.

Sarma detailed what he described as multiple glaring inconsistencies in the documents being circulated. He stated that his surname was incorrectly rendered as “Sarma” rather than the official “Sharma,” that the photograph used appeared to be a publicly available image rather than a standard biometric capture, and that the alleged Antigua and Barbuda passport showed a discrepancy between the expiry date in the printed field and the machine-readable zone. Regarding the alleged Egyptian passport, Sarma cited inconsistencies between the printed section and the machine-readable zone, including the spelling error “Egyptiann” and incorrect Arabic references. He also stated that the QR code on a circulated title deed did not resolve to any authentic record, and described the totality of the inconsistencies as strongly indicating possible fabrication or digital manipulation.

Sarma told reporters separately that he would also file a first information report requesting police to seize the passport copies that Pawan Khera had displayed before the media, stating that if the documents proved genuine the matter would be determined by authorities, and if fabricated, Khera would face arrest.

How did Riniki Bhuyan Sarma and the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee respond to the passport and asset allegations?

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma independently rejected the allegations through a post on X, accusing Pawan Khera of circulating poorly fabricated documents and stating that as a spokesperson of a national party, Khera was expected to exercise basic due diligence rather than share what she described as imaginary passports and fabricated documents. She warned of independent legal action.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi separately attacked Himanta Biswa Sarma following the press conference, calling the allegations shocking and describing the Chief Minister as an embarrassment for the state of Assam and India. Gogoi stated that Sarma would have to answer the questions and pay for his crime and called for further investigation into properties and overseas bank accounts linked to the Chief Minister’s family.

What is the legal and electoral significance of the Congress allegations under Indian citizenship law and election affidavit rules?

India’s citizenship framework, governed by the Citizenship Act 1955, does not permit dual citizenship for Indian nationals. Holders of Indian passports who acquire foreign citizenship are required to surrender their Indian travel document. A United Arab Emirates Golden Visa, referenced in the Congress presentation, is a long-term residency scheme and is legally distinct from citizenship or a foreign passport. The Congress allegations, as presented by Pawan Khera, treated the UAE residency documentation alongside the alleged Egyptian and Antigua and Barbuda passports as a unified pattern of foreign nationality acquisition.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1951 and Election Commission of India guidelines, candidates contesting state assembly elections are required to submit statutory affidavits disclosing their assets, liabilities, and those of their spouses at the time of filing nominations. The Congress allegations specifically targeted whether these disclosure requirements were fully met with respect to Dubai properties and overseas company interests, rendering the claim legally and electorally significant independently of the passport controversy.

The Wyoming-registered limited liability company structure cited by Pawan Khera invokes a documented feature of United States corporate law. Wyoming is among several American states that permit the formation of limited liability companies without requiring the public disclosure of beneficial owners in official filings. Khera did not produce documentation establishing Himanta Biswa Sarma’s personal beneficial ownership of the entity in question beyond the name-construction argument presented at the press conference.

What is the background to the 2026 Assam Assembly elections and how significant are these elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress nationally?

The 2026 Assam Legislative Assembly elections will elect 126 members of the Assam Legislative Assembly on 9 April 2026, with votes counted and results declared on 4 May 2026. According to the Election Commission of India, 2,49,58,139 voters are eligible to participate, comprising 1,24,82,213 male voters, 1,24,75,583 female voters, and 343 third-gender voters.

Assam had mostly been a stronghold of the Indian National Congress until 2016. The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance won the Assam state elections for the first time in 2016 and secured a second consecutive assembly victory in 2021, with Himanta Biswa Sarma becoming Chief Minister after that election. The 2026 state elections are considered a significant political test for both national and regional parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2029.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his statement rejecting the Congress allegations, said that the people of Assam would not be misled by such propaganda and that the Bharatiya Janata Party remained focused and confident of securing a decisive mandate of more than 100 seats. The Congress and its alliance partners under the Asom Sonmilito Morcha, formed in November 2025, are seeking to end the Bharatiya Janata Party’s hold on the state after two consecutive terms.

Key takeaways on what the Himanta Biswa Sarma versus Pawan Khera allegations mean for the Assam elections, Indian citizenship law, and election disclosure norms

• Indian National Congress media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera alleged at a New Delhi press conference on 5 April 2026 that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, holds three active foreign passports issued by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Antigua and Barbuda, and that overseas assets including Dubai properties and a Wyoming-registered company were not disclosed in Sarma’s mandatory election affidavit.

• Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma rejected all allegations as fabricated, citing specific documentary inconsistencies including surname spelling errors, photograph irregularities, machine-readable zone discrepancies in the alleged Egyptian and Antigua and Barbuda passports, and an invalid QR code on a circulated title deed. Sarma announced criminal and civil defamation proceedings against Pawan Khera within 48 hours.
• Riniki Bhuyan Sarma separately rejected the allegations on X, accused Pawan Khera of circulating poorly fabricated documents, and warned of independent legal action.
• The allegations carry legal weight under two distinct frameworks: India’s Citizenship Act 1955, which prohibits dual citizenship for Indian nationals, and the Representation of the People Act 1951, which mandates full asset disclosure by candidates and their spouses in statutory election affidavits.
• The confrontation occurred four days before Assam’s single-phase assembly election on 9 April 2026, in which 2,49,58,139 registered voters will elect 126 members of the Assam Legislative Assembly, with results due on 4 May 2026. The Bharatiya Janata Party is seeking a third consecutive mandate in the state.