Assam Chief Minister Rejects Allegations Against Wife, Calls it Coordinated Attempt to Influence Elections

Guwahati, April 6: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday mounted a strong counterattack against the Congress, rejecting allegations over his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s alleged foreign passports and assets, and claiming the controversy is part of a larger, coordinated attempt to influence the Assembly elections. Targets Congress leaders Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, the Chief Minister directly targeted Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi, alleging that the documents they relied on were sourced from a Pakistani social media network. Sarma said his team had carried out a detailed examination of the material and found what he described as clear links to external sources. “This is not a routine political allegation. There appears to be an organised attempt from outside to interfere in Assam’s elections,” he said. Pakistani media coverage He also pointed to recent coverage in Pakistani media, claiming that multiple television debates there had unusually focused on Assam politics and openly favoured a Congress victory. “In the last 10 days, at least 10–11 programmes have discussed Assam elections. This is unprecedented,” he said, urging agencies to probe the matter. In a detailed presentation titled “How the truth was uncovered”, the Chief Minister sought to dismantle the documents circulated by the Congress. He highlighted several discrepancies—ranging from mismatched identity numbers and incorrect personal details to spelling errors and non-functional QR codes. AI manipulation alleged According to him, the passport images were digitally altered. “These are not genuine documents. They have been manipulated using AI tools and photo-editing software,” he said, adding that even a basic reverse image search could expose the fabrication. Sarma further stated that at least one of the alleged passports had already been verified as fake by authorities. Taking a legal route, he confirmed that his wife Riniki Sharma Bhuyan has filed an FIR at Panbazar Police Station. He said the case is expected to invoke charges related to forgery and cheating under relevant legal provisions. “If someone uses fabricated documents to influence an election, it is a serious offence,” he said, warning of stringent legal consequences. The Chief Minister also indicated that both criminal and civil defamation cases would be filed against Khera. Politically, Sarma claimed the controversy had backfired on the Congress. Referring to informal “satta bazar” trends, he said projections had swung further in favour of the NDA after the allegations surfaced. “Instead of damaging us, it has strengthened our position,” he remarked. He went on to suggest that the Congress might distance itself from Khera in the coming days. “Either they knowingly used fake documents, or they were misled. In both cases, they will try to shift responsibility,” he said. Framing the episode as a last-minute attack ahead of polling, Sarma said the opposition was resorting to “desperation tactics” with little time left before voters head to the booths. With just days remaining for voting, the issue has quickly moved beyond a political exchange, becoming a flashpoint in the campaign—raising questions not only about credibility, but also about the tone and direction of electoral politics in the state.