Kheda intensified the attack by linking the issue to broader allegations. He said, “You are seeing pictures of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his wife. Their names are linked to several allegations like land grab, misuse of temple funds, government subsidies and chit fund scams. But today, the documents we are presenting are directly related to matters outside India.” He described it as a “shocking detail”, saying that he had “not one, not two, but three passports that have not expired”.

‘Khera will have to face the consequences of his actions’: Himanta

Sarma rejected the claims as politically motivated and said both he and his wife would file a defamation case against Khera within 48 hours. He wrote onAnnouncing the legal action, he said, “I categorically reject every allegation made by them. These are malicious, fabricated and politically motivated lies aimed at misleading the people of Assam.” “I and my wife will be filing both criminal and civil defamation cases against Mr. Pawan Kheda within the next 48 hours. He will be held fully accountable for his reckless and defamatory statements.”He further wrote, “I have full faith in the judiciary. Once the truth is established in the court, Mr. Pawan Kheda will have to face the consequences of his actions and the law will take its due course.”

‘An embarrassment for Assam’: Gogoi

Assam Congress leader Gaurav also targeted Himanta and demanded further investigation. “Shocking allegations related to Himanta Biswa Sarma have emerged. Holding multiple passports and failure to disclose assets is a serious and criminal offense. How much money has he sent from Assam to his bank accounts abroad? More investigation is required,” he wrote, calling the chief minister “shameful” who “will have to answer questions and pay for his crime.”“Sarma responded again by highlighting technical discrepancies in the alleged documents. In a detailed post, he listed “serious inconsistencies” that suggest fabrications. These included “Surname mismatch – ‘Sarma’ used instead of official ‘Sharma'”, and a photograph that “appears to be a publicly available image, not a standard biometric capture”.Referring to Antigua and Barbuda passports, he pointed to an “expiry date mismatch between the printed fields and the MRZ”, while Egyptian passports reportedly showed “passport number mismatches…spelling errors (‘Egypt’) and incorrect Arabic references”.“These discrepancies strongly indicate possible fabrication or digital manipulation. Truth will prevail. Those spreading misinformation will be held accountable,” Sarma wrote.This heated argument took place a few days before the voting in Assam on April 9.