Guwahati, April 6: Riniki Bhuyan Sharma on April 6 rejected allegations of holding foreign assets, asserting that neither she nor her family has any business interests or properties outside India.
Responding to a post by Gaurav Gogoi, she said, “Neither I, nor my children, nor my husband have any business interests or assets in Dubai or anywhere outside India.”
In a sharp counter, she questioned whether Gogoi’s wife has or has ever had a bank account in Pakistan and asked if he would make such details public. She also accused him of altering his claims, stating that within 24 hours he shifted from referring to a “Golden visa on an Egyptian passport” to an “Indian passport”.
The exchange follows a series of questions raised by Gogoi, who had sought clarification from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding alleged foreign links. In his post, he asked whether Sarma’s wife holds a Dubai Golden Visa, whether it is linked to an Indian passport, and whether any family members own property or run businesses abroad.
He also questioned whether such assets, if any, had been disclosed in election affidavits and said the Chief Minister should welcome an investigation if there is nothing to hide.
The controversy stems from earlier allegations made by Pawan Khera, who had claimed that certain documents suggested multiple passports linked to Sarma’s wife and raised questions over possible legal violations.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has dismissed the claims as baseless, describing the documents as “fake” and alleging a political attempt to defame the Chief Minister ahead of the Assembly elections.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in the ongoing political confrontation between the BJP and the Indian National Congress in Assam as the state heads toward the Assembly polls.
