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In a sharp escalation of political attacks ahead of the Assam assembly elections, the Congress party on Sunday accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, of holding active passports from three foreign countries, including two Muslim-majority nations.

The allegations, led by All India Congress Committee (AICC) Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera, have triggered a fresh round of controversy in the already heated political landscape of the Northeast.

Pawan Khera, along with other Congress leaders such as Supriya Shrinate and Asma, publicly raised the claims through a press conference and coordinated a social media campaign.

They questioned how the wife of a Chief Minister whose politics is often described by opponents as being based on “hatred against Muslims” could hold passports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt.

The party also flagged a third passport from Antigua & Barbuda.

It demanded clarification on whether Riniki Bhuyan Sarma still holds an Indian passport, citing India’s strict prohibition on dual citizenship.

According to the documents allegedly shared by Congress leaders in videos and posts, the passports in question are:

UAE Passport: Issued on March 14, 2022, valid until March 13, 2027.
Arab Republic of Egypt Passport: Issued on February 13, 2022, valid until February 12, 2029.
Antigua & Barbuda Passport: Issued on August 26, 2021, valid until August 25, 2031.

Congress leaders framed the issue as a serious matter of national interest.

They asked pointed questions directed at Union Home Minister Amit Shah: “Is Himanta Biswa Sarma the adopted son of Amit Shah? Moreover, did the country’s Home Minister know that his adopted son’s wife holds three passports?” They further demanded that Amit Shah immediately constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

Himanta Sarma’s Strong Rebuttal

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife have categorically rejected the allegations as “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies.”

In a swift response issued on Sunday, the couple announced they would file a defamation suit against Pawan Khera within 48 hours.

Sarma’s camp has described the claims as a desperate counter-attack amid an ongoing row between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi over alleged links to Pakistan.

Mainstream media outlets have reported that there has been no independent verification of the passport documents by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) or any other official authority so far.

The documents have been circulating only on social media platforms since today.

Legal And Factual Context

Under the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955 (Section 9), India does not permit dual citizenship.

Any Indian citizen who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country automatically loses Indian citizenship.

If the documents presented by Congress are proven to represent full foreign citizenship (as opposed to residency permits or visas), Riniki Bhuyan Sarma could not legally retain an Indian passport.

However, experts note that what is often loosely referred to as a “UAE passport” in such controversies is frequently the UAE Golden Visa, a long-term residency permit rather than full citizenship or a standard national passport.

UAE citizenship remains extremely rare for non-Emiratis.

No prior public records, election affidavits, or credible reports had ever suggested that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, who is publicly known as an Indian citizen and successful businesswoman (Managing Director of Pride East Entertainment Pvt Ltd, a prominent Assamese media house), held foreign citizenship.

The “Adopted Son” Claim

The Congress also revived a long-circulating rhetorical jab by claiming that Himanta Biswa Sarma is the “adopted son” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

There is zero evidence, documentary, legal, or otherwise, to support any formal or informal adoption.

Himanta Sarma, born in 1969 in Assam, and Amit Shah, the powerful BJP leader from Gujarat, share a close political mentor-protégé relationship.

Sarma is frequently called the “Amit Shah of the Northeast” for his strategic role in expanding the BJP’s footprint in the region, but the “adopted son” narrative remains pure political rhetoric with no factual basis.

Amit Shah’s biological son is Jay Shah, the current BCCI Secretary.

Political Backdrop

Himanta Biswa Sarma has built much of his political brand on strong positions on illegal immigration from Bangladesh, the implementation of the Assam Accord, the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and the protection of indigenous Assamese identity.

Opposition parties, particularly Congress, have repeatedly framed these policies as “anti-Muslim.”

The timing of today’s allegations, emerging suddenly with alleged passport scans, has led political observers to view them as classic election-season mudslinging rather than a substantive expose.

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma’s family and business interests have faced scrutiny in the past over land and media ownership issues, but none of those earlier inquiries involved foreign passports or citizenship.

No Official Response From Amit Shah Yet

As of late Sunday evening, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has not issued any statement or indicated any move to set up an SIT.

Political analysts point out that Special Investigation Teams are typically formed only when there is credible evidence of serious wrongdoing involving national security or large-scale corruption, rather than on the basis of unverified social media claims by political opponents.

The Congress party, meanwhile, continues to push the narrative on social media, positioning the issue as one of transparency and accountability for a high-profile public figure.

What happens next remains to be seen. If competent authorities authenticate the passport documents, they could trigger serious legal and political repercussions under Indian citizenship laws.

Until then, the controversy stands as yet another chapter in the bitter and deeply personalized politics of Assam, where development rhetoric, identity issues, and personal allegations often collide in the run-up to elections.

This report is based on public statements, social media posts, and available information as of April 5, 2026. No independent verification of the alleged passport documents has been possible at the time of publication.