'Reading about the Golden Visa in Dubai': Gaurav Gogoi jibes at Himanta amid passport row

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on April 6 took a swipe at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma amid the ongoing controversy over alleged passport-related claims involving the latter’s wife.

In a post on X, Gogoi said he was “reading about the Golden Visa in Dubai,” describing it as a long-term residence visa that allows investors to live in the United Arab Emirates.

The remarks come in the wake of allegations made by Pawan Khera, chairman of the AICC Media and Publicity Department, who claimed that certain documents suggested that Sarma’s wife holds multiple active passports, raising questions over possible violations of Indian law.

Khera questioned how multiple passports could be held and raised concerns over dual citizenship provisions, alleging inconsistencies in the documents and seeking clarification from the Chief Minister.

Escalating the attack, Gogoi also called for a probe into Sarma’s properties, stating that the Chief Minister would have to respond to the allegations.

Meanwhile, Sarma has dismissed the claims as baseless, asserting that verification from Dubai authorities and the Government of India has confirmed that the passport cited in the allegations is “fake”. He added that the Assam Police have initiated an inquiry into the matter.

“The photograph used in one of the passports is not hers,” Sarma said, adding that reports regarding other documents are expected from the concerned authorities soon.

The controversy has triggered a political exchange between the ruling BJP and the Congress in the run-up to the Assam Assembly elections, with both sides trading allegations.

(Inputs from ANI)