Congress Alleges Assam CM’s Wife Holds Foreign Passports, Assets Abroad; CM Denies, Vows Legal Action
From the Editor’s Desk
April 6, 2026
Himanta Biswa Sarma speaks to the media during an event in Guwahati. Photo by Ishanjyotibora under a Creative Commons licence
The Congress party has alleged that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, holds multiple foreign passports and undisclosed overseas assets, triggering a political confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has rejected the claims and announced legal action.
The allegations were made by Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera at a press conference in New Delhi on April 5, where he said Ms. Sharma holds passports of the United Arab Emirates, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt, as reported by Hindustan Times. He also claimed that she owns two properties in Dubai that were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit and alleged links to a company in Wyoming in the United States.
Khera also claimed that Sarma and his wife “have faced numerous allegations over time -- such as land grabbing, misappropriation of temple donations, siphoning off government subsidies … Himanta Biswa Sarma’s entire politics is predicated on hatred against Muslims; yet, his wife holds passports from two Muslim countries?” as quoted by NDTV.
“Are they making preparations to flee the country in the event of an electoral defeat?” Khera asked.
The chief minister rejected the allegations and described them as politically motivated. “These are malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam,” Sarma said.
He said the documents cited by the Congress contained “serious discrepancies,” including spelling errors, mismatched passport numbers and expiry dates, and invalid QR codes. “The documents being circulated show multiple glaring inconsistencies, suggesting a crude and poorly executed attempt at digital manipulation,” he said.
Sarma added that one of the passports mentioned had been confirmed as not genuine by authorities in Dubai and by the Indian government.
Sarma said he and his wife would initiate both criminal and civil defamation proceedings against Khera within 48 hours.
“My wife and I will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours… He will be held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements,” he said.
Ms. Sharma also rejected the allegations and said legal remedies would be pursued.
The exchange comes ahead of the Assam assembly elections, with both the Congress and the BJP intensifying political attacks, and with the dispute now expected to move into legal proceedings.
Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and as per directions issued by the Supreme Court in the Association for Democratic Reforms case, candidates must disclose their financial and personal details through a sworn affidavit at the time of filing nominations. Form 26 requires full disclosure of assets belonging to the candidate, their spouse and dependents. This includes movable and immovable property, whether located in India or abroad, and any financial interests such as stakes in companies.
Indian law requires a candidate to be a citizen of India.
Under the Citizenship Act, 1955, an Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country ceases to be an Indian citizen.
Wyoming, a state in the United States, allows a high degree of anonymity to companies. Limited liability companies can be set up without publicly listing the beneficial owner in an easily traceable way. This does not make such companies illegal, as many legitimate businesses use them. However, investigators may treat such jurisdictions with caution because ownership can be harder to verify.
You have just read a News Briefing, written by Newsreel Asia’s text editor, Vishal Arora, to cut through the noise and present a single story for the day that matters to you. We encourage you to read the News Briefing each day. Our objective is to help you become not just an informed citizen, but an engaged and responsible one.
