Why Did Assam CM Raise Red Flag Over Congress MP in Anti-Terror Delegation? ‘Pakistan Link’ Sparks Row

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday stirred political controversy by questioning the inclusion of a Congress MP from Assam in India’s all-party foreign delegations meant to highlight the country’s firm stance on cross-border terrorism, especially in the aftermath of ‘Operation Sindoor’.

In a sharply worded post on X (formerly Twitter), Sarma wrote, “One of the MPs named in the list (from Assam) has not denied his prolonged stay in Pakistan—reportedly for two weeks—and credible documents show that his wife was drawing salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while working in India.”

The BJP leader framed the issue as one of “national security” and made a direct appeal to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to withdraw the name. “This is a sensitive and strategic assignment. I urge Shri Rahul Gandhi not to include this individual, given the gravity of the allegations,” Sarma added.

The controversy emerged shortly after Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh disclosed the names of four party MPs nominated for the delegation: former Union minister Anand Sharma, deputy leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, and first-time MP Raja Brar.

Interestingly, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor—who publicly claimed to have been invited to lead one of the delegations—was not on the final list shared by the Congress high command. Tharoor’s exclusion raised eyebrows across political circles.

In a statement, Ramesh clarified: “By noon yesterday, May 16th, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi) submitted four names to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju for the all-party delegations. These were Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Syed Naseer Hussain, and Raja Brar.”

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, meanwhile, issued a statement earlier in the day outlining the objective of the delegations: “They will carry to the world India’s national consensus and resolute message of zero tolerance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

The government’s effort to send cross-party representatives abroad to strengthen India’s case against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has generally been welcomed across the political spectrum. However, Sarma’s allegations threaten to politicize the initiative and could impact the credibility of the bipartisan approach.

No formal response has been issued yet by the Congress party to Sarma’s accusations, and the identity of the MP he referred to remains unclear, though political observers have begun speculating based on the list of nominees.