Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, filed an FIR against Congress over allegations of holding foreign assets. She accused the party of defamation, acting in frustration, and using ‘AI generated and total photoshop’ content.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma mounted a strong attack on Congress for second successive day over its allegations against them even as Congress leaders continued to raise issues related to their allegations during their campaign for the assembly polls slated for April 9. Riniki Bhuyan Sharma on Monday said she has filed an FIR over the allegations levelled by Congress and accused the opposition party of acting in frustration and trying to “set up a playbook”.
In an interview with ANI, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma said that allegations cannot be taken in “a lenient manner” and “justice prevail”. The allegations were levelled by Congress Media Department Chairperson Pawan Khera at a press conference on Sunday. Assam will go to the polls to elect a new Assembly on April 9.
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma Slams Congress
Targeting Congress, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma said it seems “a mad dog has bitten them and from the top to the lowest rung”.”I have taken legal action. I have lodged an FIR against them. I urge our Assam police to get in touch with the MEA so that everything can be proved… This is not to be entertained in a very lenient manner. Let justice prevail,” Riniki Bhuyan Sharma said.
She alleged that Congress was frustrated due to the popularity of Sarma and the BJP. “I think it is directly a counter against Chief Minister HB Sarma because the kind of wave that Assam is having for the BJP and the Congress is nowhere surfacing anywhere,” she said. She accused Congress of defaming through AI generated content and “total photoshop”. She said the Congress had set a “shameful example”.
“It seems that a mad dog has bitten them and from the top rung of the Congress to the lowest rung, I believe that they don’t have anything else to do except defaming people that too with AI generated and total photoshop. One more thing which they have done well is set up a playbook… It is an example set to the entire Assamese society by a very veteran party, which is very shameful,” she said. “I think they have gone berserk… For the last two years, they have been doing every little thing to defame me, my daughter, my son, we are nowhere related to politics,” she added.
Refutes ‘Stupid’ Allegations on Passports, Property
Asked about Khera’s allegations over her passports and Chief Minister’s election affidavit, she said they have done “foolish things”. “The kind of allegations they are making. If we check with the Indian Passport Act, it says what kind of foolish things they have done. India doesn’t allow any dual citizenship, and they are talking about three passports, and according to them, I’m supposed to be an Egyptian national, and they are talking about the golden visa… It is like a mad dog running anywhere,” she said.
“They have given a room number in a hotel in Dubai. What kind of property is that? If I had a property, I would buy a house, but I don’t own a hotel room. This is the kind of stupidity that they have done. If they have done such a forging, they should have done their homework… It is like a cow climbing a tree,” she added.
Himanta Sarma Hits Back
Himanta Sarma and Riniki Bhuyan Sharma had yesterday also hit back at the Congress over the allegations.Sarma rejected the allegations as “malicious, fabricated, and politically motivated lies” and said he and his wife will file criminal and civil defamation cases within the next 48 hours against Khera.
Congress’s Allegations
Khera alleged in his press conference in the national capital that Biswa Sarma’s wife was “holding three passports from three different countries – the UAE, Egypt and Antigua and Barbuda”. He alleged that Himanta’s wife owns two properties in Dubai, which Sarma “had not mentioned in his election affidavit”.
Khera alleged that Himanta Biswa Sarma’s “politics is based on hatred against Muslims”, but his wife “holds passports from two Muslim countries” Himanta Sarma on Monday countered the allegations levelled by Congress, claiming that property documents used to link his family to apartments in Dubai were stolen from the document-sharing platform Scribd.
CM Calls Out ‘Fake AI Campaign’
“We have uncovered the real owners of the two Dubai apartments named during #CongFakeAICampaign. These flats are owned by Md. Ahmad and Fatima Sulaiman. Cong stole these documents from Scribd-https://scribd.com/document/769481891/May-Residence-Title-Deed#google_vignette. This is how we have found out, try on your own phones,” he said in a post on X. Earlier in the day, Sarma rejected allegations made by the Congress regarding overseas assets, calling purported Dubai property documents “fake” and part of a “fake AI campaign”.
In a post on X, Sarma said, “Busting another lie of #CongFakeAICampaign. The Dubai property title deeds have also turned out to be FAKE with glaring inconsistencies and no authentic record. All of their lies are THUS BUSTED. Legal action will follow.”Along with his post, CM Sarma also shared a link to verify his claim.
War of Words on Social Media
Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, responded to a post by Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on the same issue. Gogoi had written on X, “Reading about the Golden visa in Dubai. It is a long-term residence visa which enables investors to live in the United Arab Emirates.”
Replying to this, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma said, “Reading about tourism in Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. It seems to genuinely appeal to some couples.”
She also rejected allegations that she or her family hold assets or business interests abroad.
“I’ll save you the suspense and answer these laughable questions myself. Here it is: Neither I, nor my children, nor my husband have any business interests or assets in Dubai or anywhere outside India. Now your turn. Can you disclose whether your wife has or has ever had a bank account in Pakistan? And will you make those details public?” she said in another post.
“Also interesting how, within 24 hours, you’ve already climbed down from your claim of a ‘golden visa on an Egyptian passport’ to now talking about an ‘Indian passport’,” she added.
Gogoi Questions Sarma
Gaurav Gogoi in a post on X attacked the Chief Minister. “Himanta Biswa Sarma should answer the following questions. Does the wife of Himanta Sarma hold a Golden visa for Dubai? Is the Golden visa on an Indian passport? Does any family member of Himanta Biswa Sarma own properties in Dubai? Does any family member of Himanta Biswa Sarma operate a business in a foreign country? And has Himanta Biswa Sarma disclosed his or his family’s wealth and properties abroad in his election affidavit?” he asked.
“Himanta Biswa Sarma should welcome an investigation if he has nothing to hide,” he added.
Votes will be counted in the state on May 4.
CM Warns of Legal Action
Responding to the controversy, the Chief Minister referred to the St. Kitts forgery case and warned of legal action over false claims. He said his legal team is already working on the matter. In a post on X, Sarma said, “Congress once tried this playbook in the St. Kitts case; those days are over. Fabrication will be met with the full force of law–my legal team is already at work.”
The political confrontation has intensified ahead of the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for April 9. The counting of votes will take place on May 4. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)