Assam Elections 2026: Days before crucial voting in the Assam Assembly Elections, which will decide who will rule the state for the next 5 years, the northeastern state is witnessing a rare personal attack led by two top leaders - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress' Gaurav Gogoi. Usually, politicians do not attack family members of rivals, but in Assam wives of the two prime opponents have been caught in the middle of the poll campaign storm.
What Is The Allegation Against Himanta's Wife?
Congress leader Pawan Khera alleged that documents suggested that Sarma's wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma holds multiple active passports, raising questions over possible violations of Indian law. Khera also questioned how multiple passports could be held and raised concerns regarding dual citizenship provisions.
"Himanta Biswa Sarma's entire politics is based on hatred against Muslims, but how does his wife hold passports from two Muslim countries?" he asked. Later, Gogoi demanded a probe into the matter.
What Sarma Said On The Allegation
Sarma said that the Dubai government has confirmed, and the Indian authorities also reconfirmed that the passport in question is "fake", dismissing the allegations against his wife, stating that the photograph used in one of the passports is not hers.
"The Assam Police have already initiated an inquiry. Confirmation has been received from a Dubai government website that the Dubai passport mentioned is fake. The Indian government has already reconfirmed that the Dubai passport is fake. Reports on the other two passports will be received from those governments by Monday or Tuesday," he said.
Sarma further criticised Gaurav Gogoi for questioning his citizenship, stating that "India" cannot be cited as a place of birth in official documents.
"Riniki [Sarma's wife] will file a case in court. In one passport, Riniki's photo is used, but it's not actually hers," CM Sarma added.
"Congress has stooped lower than ever. There is a UAE government website where anyone can verify passports and visas. Every passport and visa can be reconfirmed on the government website. For the wrong they have done, if the fraud is proven, Pawan Khera will have to stay in an Assam jail," he stated.
What Is Allegation Against Gogoi's Wife?
For the last couple of months, Sarma has been targeting Gogoi, calling him a Pakistani agent over his wife Elizabeth Colburn's alleged link with the neighbouring country. The BJP leader accused Gogoi's wife of having links with Pakistan and the ISI. Sarma launched an SIT probe and based on the report, he kept labelling Congress as a pro-Pakistan party. He alleged that Gogoi, his British wife and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh had a "deeper connection", and that information from the Intelligence Bureau was secretly passed on to the neighbouring nation.
Sarma also claimed that the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules were violated when Colburn was paid salary by Sheikh while she was working in India.
The CM also alleged that Gogoi undertook a "very confidential" visit to Pakistan in 2013 and was believed to have undergone "some kind of training" there.
(With Agencies inputs)