Congress asks Himanta 3 questions on his ‘family’s properties, companies abroad’

Senior Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday intensified their attack on Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, raising a series of questions over alleged foreign assets and business links involving his family, even as the CM threatened legal action over what he termed “false allegations”.

Addressing a press conference, the Congress leaders asked Sarma to clarify whether his wife or family owns property in Dubai, has business interests in Wyoming in the United States, or has routed assets through shell companies. They also demanded that the Chief Minister submit a fresh affidavit to the Election Commission of India disclosing these details, alleging that such information was missing from his election filings.

Khera had earlier alleged in New Delhi that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, held multiple foreign passports and owned undisclosed overseas assets — claims that surfaced just days ahead of the 9 April assembly polls. The Congress described the matter as serious enough to warrant disqualification if proven, and called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of multiple passports, foreign properties, and the source of funds linked to overseas entities.

Gogoi also hit back at Sarma’s counter-allegations, in which the CM had questioned him over alleged undisclosed bank accounts abroad. Rejecting the charge, Gogoi said he was willing to publicly swear on the Bhagavad Gita, and challenged Sarma to do the same regarding the allegations against his own family.

The Congress leaders further accused the chief minister of routinely resorting to defamation cases whenever corruption allegations are raised. “We want him to go to court, and we will present documents to prove the truth,” they said, daring him to initiate legal proceedings immediately.

The controversy escalated after Sarma announced that he and his wife would file a defamation suit against Khera within 48 hours. Both the chief minister and his spouse have categorically denied all allegations.

Responding to the claims, Sarma dismissed the documents circulated by the Congress as fabricated, pointing to what he described as “glaring inconsistencies” that suggested a crude attempt at digital manipulation. He highlighted discrepancies such as the use of an incorrect surname — ‘Sarma’ instead of ‘Sharma’ — and questioned the authenticity of the photograph used, claiming it appeared to be a publicly available image rather than a biometric capture.

“The campaign of falsehood is nearing its end. Eventually, Mr Khera will go to jail,” Sarma said in a post, asserting confidence in legal action.

Congress leaders, however, maintained that the allegations were based on documents linked to visa applications and said more revelations could follow, describing the current claims as “just the tip of the iceberg”.

The party also urged central agencies such as the CBI, Income Tax Department, and Enforcement Directorate to investigate the matter, while alleging that political interference would prevent a fair probe.

The political slugfest comes at a crucial time, with Assam heading to polls on 9 April, intensifying the war of words between the BJP and Congress. The controversy has emerged as a new flashpoint, with both sides trading serious allegations and legal threats ahead of voting.

With PTI inputs