Laughable claims: Assam CM's wife fires back at Gaurav Gogoi amid passport row

Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, wife of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has directly hit back at Congress accusations claiming she owns multiple foreign passports and assets abroad.

Posting on X, Riniki said, “Neither I, nor my children, nor my husband have any business interests or assets in Dubai or anywhere outside India. Today’s claims are laughable.”

She challenged Congress leaders, asking whether Gaurav Gogoi’s wife has ever held a bank account in Pakistan and urged him to disclose those details publicly.

The controversy erupted after Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi alleged Riniki Sarma holds passports from the UAE, Egypt, and Antigua-Barbuda, owns properties in Dubai, and operates a company in Wyoming, USA.

Khera further claimed that these assets were not declared in CM Sarma’s election affidavit, raising questions about compliance with Indian law.

RINIKI’S REBUTTAL: DOCUMENTS FORGED

Riniki and her husband dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated” and based on falsified documents. She explained that images and passports were morphed using information from a Pakistani social media group, with her photograph added to a lost Egyptian passport.

Sarma pointed out multiple errors in the alleged documents:

• The UAE Golden Visa is not a passport and cannot be issued to non-citizens.
• The Egyptian passport linked to Riniki belongs to another individual, with mismatched facial features and numbers.
• The Antigua-Barbuda passport contained typos and inconsistencies in expiry dates and MRZ codes.
• A company in Wyoming cited by Congress was allegedly fabricated online.

Riniki stressed that these inaccuracies exposed the allegations as “completely false and deliberately misleading.”

POLITICAL AND LEGAL ANGLE

Sarma claimed Congress used these forged documents to influence the Assam elections, asserting Pakistan-backed interference. He said his wife has filed complaints against Khera and promised legal action, adding, “Those spreading misinformation will be held accountable.”

Riniki’s perspective reflects both personal and political defence, portraying her as directly confronting baseless claims while highlighting her husband’s support and commitment to protecting their reputation.

Riniki’s rebuttal on X went viral, with citizens and BJP supporters sharing her clarification and questioning Congress’ motives. She emphasised that the allegations were timed to affect the upcoming Assam Assembly elections.

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