Guwahati: Assam Opposition parties have once again cornered Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on the issue of his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma's huge assets. They even went ahead to warn of confiscating all property once they come to power in 2026.
Congress leaders said they will form a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to trace down all property acquired by Sarma's wife and the disproportionate assets will be seized. This comes after Sarma claimed that whatever assets Riniki owns belong to the people of Assam and are the state's property.
What CM said on property row:
Notably, on Monday, the Chief Minister had said to the media at an event in Guwahati, "Whatever Rinki Bhuyan has is for the people of Assam. She will not take anything with herself (after life). There is nothing in my son's name. Everything will belong to the people of Assam. All of Rinki's assets are property of Assam. For instance, her schools, resorts, media house, all are property of Assam."
"You will find out everything in her will. My children don't need anything," he said. Earnings of News Live, a news channel owned by the family, are not black money and something has to be done with it, he added.
The Opposition parties have often alleged that the CM's family has acquired assets by abusing power.
APCC president says property of CM's wife to be confiscated within 100 days
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Bhupen Kumar Bora said, "In 2026, within 100 days of the formation of the Congress-led government in Assam, an SIT will be formed to calculate assets of the CM’s family rather than their income. The disproportionate assets will be confiscated and the money received by selling all the confiscated properties will be deposited in the state treasury. The chief minister has rightly anticipated that his wife's property will be confiscated once the Congress-led government comes to power. "
Bora further said that the BJP leadership has realised that the people of Assam have already taken a pledge to re-establish the Congress government by overthrowing the corrupt Himanta Biswa Sarma government in 2026. This has led to questions about Sarma's actions among senior BJP leaders and there has been a growing rift within the party, he alleged.
AJP slams CM
On the other hand, Jagdish Bhuyan, general secretary of the Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), reacted to Sarma's statement asking as to who is the beneficiary of the property. "Who is the beneficiary of the property? The people or the chief minister? Is Sarma sitting on the chief minister's chair for the development of the people of Assam or for the development of his own family? Why not make the education expenses of students free in his wife's school?" he asked.
CPI(M) demands probe into the allegations
Meanwhile, the CPI(M) also took a dig at Sarma with its state secretary Suprakash Talukdar questioning the intention behind the CM's statement and calling for a probe into the issue.
"If there is an intention of donating property, then why is the chief minister amassing so much wealth? Sarma has amassed this immense property by misusing the chief minister's post. Indirectly, the chief minister has admitted to accumulating huge assets. So there should be an investigation into how and how much assets the chief minister's family has acquired. "
AAP, Assam demands CM to make his will public:
AAP, Assam president Bhaven Chowdhury demanded that the CM should make his wife's will public. "The will of his wife that the Chief Minister is talking about, should be made public. Don't make any passing statement," he said.
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