Guwahati: Assam Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi strongly rebutted accusations by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had called him a “Pakistani agent.” Speaking at a packed press conference in Guwahati on Monday, Gogoi displayed photographs of Sarma with a Bangladeshi Muslim cleric and challenged the Chief Minister to explain his repeated visits to Bangladesh, highlighting what he called “double standards” in the political debate.
Gogoi said that while his own visit to Pakistan in 2013 was scrutinized, the Chief Minister’s frequent foreign trips, including around 10 visits to Bangladesh, were largely ignored. He accused Sarma of engaging in “opportunistic religious posturing” to protect his political image and dismissed the Chief Minister’s February 8 press meet on the SIT report as a “flop show,” claiming it lacked evidence and was staged for political optics.
Accompanied by senior Congress leaders MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain, Gogoi addressed every question from journalists. He clarified that his Pakistan visit was fully legal, conducted with his wife Elizabeth Colbern Gogoi, who was working with an international organization at the time, and fully reported to the Indian government. Gogoi also highlighted that he visited Taxila, India’s ancient knowledge center, during his trip.
Responding to Sarma’s continued attacks, Gogoi pointed out inconsistencies in the Chief Minister’s claims about national security threats, questioning why no action had been taken for six months if the alleged threats were serious. He accused the Chief Minister of using false allegations to divert attention from issues like land holdings linked to Sarma’s family and transfers of land to corporate groups.
Gogoi also condemned remarks about his children, stating that the Chief Minister had crossed all limits by involving his five-year-old and nine-year-old in political controversies. Congress leaders, including Rakibul Hussain, indicated that the party may pursue legal action over disclosures related to minors.
