Guwahati : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday launched a sharp and detailed counteroffensive against the Congress, accusing its leaders of orchestrating a “fabricated and foreign-influenced misinformation campaign” aimed at targeting him and his family in the run-up to the Assembly elections.

Addressing a high-intensity press conference, Sarma directly named Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Gaurav Gogoi, alleging that they conducted coordinated briefings in Delhi and Guwahati using what he termed “doctored and fraudulent documents” to malign his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.

The Chief Minister claimed that the documents circulated by Congress-including purported foreign passports-were sourced from a Pakistani social media network and subsequently altered using artificial intelligence tools and photo-editing software.

According to Sarma, a forensic-style scrutiny of the documents revealed multiple inconsistencies, including mismatched identity numbers, incorrect personal details, and visible anomalies in formatting and typography.

He cited specific instances to bolster his claim, stating that one of the documents corresponded to an Egyptian national, while another incorrectly portrayed a UAE Golden Visa as a passport. “The UAE does not issue passports to non-citizens. This is technically impossible,” he said, adding that untranslated Arabic text in the documents exposed the alleged forgery.

Escalating the attack, Sarma alleged a “Pakistan link” to the controversy, claiming that Pakistani media outlets had aired at least 11 discussions on the Assam elections over the past 10 days, each projecting narratives favourable to the Congress.

He further asserted that the materials used by Congress leaders could be traced back to Pakistani digital platforms, raising concerns about possible foreign interference in the state’s electoral process. “Why use Pakistan to defame me?” Sarma asked, framing the issue as one involving not just political rivalry but national security and electoral integrity.

On the legal front, the Chief Minister warned that the use of fabricated documents to influence voters could attract stringent penal provisions under existing laws, including sections related to forgery and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

He noted that offences intended to impact election outcomes may invite enhanced punishment, potentially extending to life imprisonment in severe cases.

Sarma confirmed that his wife has already lodged an FIR and said he was confident that the investigation would uncover the full chain behind what he described as a “coordinated disinformation effort.”

In a bid to illustrate how easily digital records can be manipulated, Sarma revealed that the Assam BJP had created a mock entity named “GauravElizabeth786” by paying USD 199 on an international platform.

He said the demonstration was intended to show how quickly fabricated entities can appear on public databases and search engines, thereby lending superficial credibility to misleading narratives.

The Chief Minister also questioned the timing of certain companies cited by Congress, claiming that some were registered only after the allegations were made public, thereby weakening their evidentiary value.

Reiterating that the allegations against him were “baseless, malicious, and politically motivated,” Sarma warned of strict legal consequences for those involved in creating or disseminating such material.

The press conference has further intensified the political contest in Assam, with claims of document forgery, AI-driven manipulation, and alleged foreign interference now taking centre stage in the election discourse.

Guwahati, April 6: Riniki Bhuyan Sharma on Tuesday firmly rejected allegations of holding assets abroad, asserting that neither she nor her immediate family members have any business interests or properties outside India, even as she turned the spotlight back on Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi with a series of pointed questions.

Responding to queries raised by Gogoi on social media, Sharma categorically stated that neither she, her husband Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, nor their children possess any assets or business interests in Dubai or elsewhere outside the country.

“Neither I, nor my children, nor my husband have any business interests or assets in Dubai or anywhere outside India,” she said, dismissing the allegations outright.

In a sharp counterattack, Sharma asked Gogoi to clarify whether his wife has ever held a bank account in Pakistan and whether he would be willing to disclose such details publicly. She also accused the Congress MP of shifting his claims within a short span, alleging that he altered his narrative from referencing a “Golden visa on an Egyptian passport” to linking it with an Indian passport within 24 hours.

The exchange comes amid a widening political controversy triggered by Gogoi’s earlier questions directed at the Chief Minister. In his post, Gogoi had sought clarity on whether Sharma holds a Dubai Golden Visa, whether it is linked to an Indian passport, and whether any members of the Chief Minister’s family own properties or operate businesses abroad.

He further questioned whether such assets, if they exist, had been disclosed in official election affidavits, asserting that there should be no hesitation in facing an investigation if the claims are unfounded.

The controversy traces back to allegations made by Congress leader Pawan Khera, who had cited purported documents suggesting the existence of multiple passports linked to Sharma and raised concerns over potential legal violations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, has strongly dismissed the claims, calling the documents “fabricated” and accusing the Congress of attempting to malign the Chief Minister’s image ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The latest war of words marks a further escalation in the intensifying political tussle between the BJP and the Congress in Assam, with both sides trading allegations and counter-allegations as the state heads into a high-stakes electoral contest.