Amidst the Congress vs BJP Assam controversy, a new controversy has now erupted just before the elections, which has caused a stir in the entire politics of Assam. Congress leader Pawan Khera has revealed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma has more than one foreign passport. According to him, some documents from 2021-2022 have come out, which state that the passport is valid till The charges are considered serious as dual citizenship is strictly prohibited in India.
The Congress is raising the issue vigorously, and has demanded from Amit Shah to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the whole matter. Congress says that if the allegations are proved true, it is a direct violation of the law. The BJP, on the other hand, is calling it a completely “fake and political conspiracy”.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself came forward and said in clear terms that the allegations were “totally false and fabricated”. He warned that a defamation case would be registered against the Congress leaders within 48 hours. According to him, such allegations are being made during elections only to confuse the people.
Now the question arises, what is the real truth? So far, the “evidence” presented by Congress is limited to social media posts and photos of some documents that have yet to be officially confirmed. On the other hand, there is no confirmation yet from the government or any investigating agency as to whether or not the case of multiple passports is indeed true. By law, it is illegal to hold passports from several countries at the same time in India, but it would be premature to draw conclusions without a thorough investigation.
Elections are near—Assam Assembly elections on April 9—and hence the battle of Congress vs BJP Assam controversy has now reached the level of recrimination. The BJP is raising the issue of development, while the Congress is raising the issue of corruption and transparency. The passport controversy could heat up the election climate.
Ultimately, the truth can only be ascertained through an official investigation. Until concrete evidence and official confirmation emerges, the issue will continue to be used as a political weapon. It is important for the public to look at every news item thoughtfully, rather than drawing conclusions based solely on social media.
