With the Assam Assembly elections slated for April 9, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has sparked a political firestorm with his provocative remarks. Responding to allegations regarding his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma’s citizenship and undisclosed foreign assets, Himanta mocked Rahul Gandhi as ‘Pappu’ and Gaurav Gogoi as ‘Chhota Pappu’. Daring the opposition, he stated, “To arrest Himanta Biswa Sarma, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi would have to be reborn; it’s not possible for Rahul in this lifetime.”

Congress leader Pawan Khera intensified the attack, questioning why the CM concealed details of his wife’s properties in Dubai and companies in America in his election affidavit. The Congress noted that the BJP, which previously questioned Gaurav Gogoi’s wife’s citizenship, is now trapped in its own rhetoric. As the single-phase polling approaches, these personal and financial allegations have become the focal point of the campaign.

Adding a strategic dimension to the controversy, Himanta also spoke on the Bangladesh crisis, labeling the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken’s Neck) as a major security concern. He suggested that India might eventually need to secure 20-22 km of land through diplomacy or force to protect the Northeast. “If medicine doesn’t work, surgery becomes necessary,” he remarked, implying a potential military or tactical intervention to safeguard the strategic corridor.