Guwahati | Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of directing party spokesperson Pawan Khera to make what he termed “false allegations” against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, during the final phase of the 2026 Assam Assembly election campaign.

In a post on X, Rijiju claimed that two senior Congress leaders had told him that Gandhi had instructed Khera to raise the allegations against the Assam chief minister and his wife shortly before polling. “2 senior Congressmen told me that Rahul Gandhi had asked Pawan Khera to put false allegations against Himanta Biswa Sarma & Riniki at the last hour of the Assam election,” Rijiju said.

Rijiju further claimed that the allegations had “backfired” and alleged that Khera was subsequently rewarded with a Rajya Sabha nomination. “When the falsehood backfired, Khera was given a Rajya Sabha seat as a prize, which he doesn’t deserve!” he said.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a controversy that erupted during the Assam Assembly election campaign after Khera raised allegations concerning multiple passports and alleged overseas assets linked to Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

Riniki Bhuyan Sarma strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “false, fabricated and politically motivated”. The controversy subsequently moved into the legal arena, with the Guwahati Crime Branch registering an FIR against Khera under charges including defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

The case has since been the subject of legal proceedings in different courts. On April 10, 2026, the Telangana High Court granted interim transit bail to Khera. The matter later reached the Supreme Court, which on April 17 directed him to approach the competent court in Assam for legal remedy.

Rijiju’s latest allegations have added a fresh political dimension to the controversy, with the Union minister questioning the Congress leadership’s role in the campaign and linking the episode to Khera’s subsequent entry into the Rajya Sabha.