The Crossbill News Desk
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday (April 6) escalated his counterattack against the Congress after the party levelled allegations concerning documents purportedly linked to his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, claiming that the controversy involved fabricated material and hinting at a possible “Pakistan angle”.
The row began after Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, at a press conference on Sunday, displayed images of what he claimed were three passports in Riniki Bhuyan Sharma’s name issued by the United Arab Emirates, Antigua & Barbuda and Egypt.
Khera also presented documents allegedly showing properties in the UAE and a company registered in Wyoming, United States, which he claimed were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit.
Rejecting the allegations, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma filed a complaint with the Assam Police Crime Branch late Sunday night, alleging that the circulated images were “AI-generated and photoshopped”.
Addressing the media before leaving for campaign engagements on Monday, Sarma reiterated that the accusations were “false” and “politically motivated” and detailed findings from what he described as an internal verification exercise.
According to the chief minister, a reverse Google search conducted on the identification number appearing on the alleged UAE document showed that the original belonged to an Egyptian national whose image had earlier surfaced on a “Pakistani” Facebook group as a lost document.
He further claimed that a reverse search of the MRZ code on the purported Egyptian passport indicated that it belonged to another woman, pointing to discrepancies such as mismatched birth years and the listing of “Indian” as the place of birth. The photographs, he alleged, had been doctored.
Sarma also said the Union government had sought clarifications from the authorities of the three countries mentioned in the allegations. He claimed that both the UAE and Antigua & Barbuda governments had indicated that the documents were not genuine, while Egypt’s response was awaited.
Dismissing the Congress allegation regarding a limited liability company in Wyoming, the chief minister said a company named ‘Hrinikinandi LLC’ had been registered only two days before the Congress press conference and another similarly named firm appeared after it, suggesting an attempt to create confusion.
“We had not even imagined that Tarun Gogoi’s son could stoop so low, and I’m sure that this conspiracy they have done will fail. I believe that the law, too, will take firm measures against this kind of conspiracy before the election. Before elections, this kind of false information to influence election results is a criminal offence with a punishment of life imprisonment,” he said.
The political confrontation has intensified ahead of elections in Assam, with both sides trading accusations while investigations into the authenticity of the disputed documents continue.
The row began after Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, at a press conference on Sunday, displayed images of what he claimed were three passports in Riniki Bhuyan Sharma’s name issued by the United Arab Emirates, Antigua & Barbuda and Egypt.
Khera also presented documents allegedly showing properties in the UAE and a company registered in Wyoming, United States, which he claimed were not disclosed in Sarma’s election affidavit.
Rejecting the allegations, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma filed a complaint with the Assam Police Crime Branch late Sunday night, alleging that the circulated images were “AI-generated and photoshopped”.
Addressing the media before leaving for campaign engagements on Monday, Sarma reiterated that the accusations were “false” and “politically motivated” and detailed findings from what he described as an internal verification exercise.
According to the chief minister, a reverse Google search conducted on the identification number appearing on the alleged UAE document showed that the original belonged to an Egyptian national whose image had earlier surfaced on a “Pakistani” Facebook group as a lost document.
He further claimed that a reverse search of the MRZ code on the purported Egyptian passport indicated that it belonged to another woman, pointing to discrepancies such as mismatched birth years and the listing of “Indian” as the place of birth. The photographs, he alleged, had been doctored.
Sarma also said the Union government had sought clarifications from the authorities of the three countries mentioned in the allegations. He claimed that both the UAE and Antigua & Barbuda governments had indicated that the documents were not genuine, while Egypt’s response was awaited.
Dismissing the Congress allegation regarding a limited liability company in Wyoming, the chief minister said a company named ‘Hrinikinandi LLC’ had been registered only two days before the Congress press conference and another similarly named firm appeared after it, suggesting an attempt to create confusion.
“We had not even imagined that Tarun Gogoi’s son could stoop so low, and I’m sure that this conspiracy they have done will fail. I believe that the law, too, will take firm measures against this kind of conspiracy before the election. Before elections, this kind of false information to influence election results is a criminal offence with a punishment of life imprisonment,” he said.
The political confrontation has intensified ahead of elections in Assam, with both sides trading accusations while investigations into the authenticity of the disputed documents continue.
Comments (0)
Leave a Comment