“What Was Gogoi Doing in Pakistan for 15 Days?”: Assam CM Sarma Sparks Row with Explosive Allegations

Guwahati: In a dramatic escalation of political tensions, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday leveled serious allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife, Elizabeth Colburn, claiming their ties to Pakistan require national scrutiny.

Speaking at a press conference, Sarma alleged that Colburn had traveled to Pakistan 19 times and maintained connections with Pakistani military officials during her visits.

“She worked in Pakistan, then shifted to Delhi and joined an NGO, but continued to draw her salary from Pakistan,” Sarma claimed, asserting that intelligence agencies should probe the nature of her activities.

The Chief Minister further alleged that Gogoi himself had visited Pakistan in a personal capacity and stayed there for 15 days — a trip that, according to Sarma, raises more questions than answers.

“Gogoi’s wife returned after seven days, but he stayed back another week. We want to know — what was he doing there for 15 days? Who hosted him? And why was he there unofficially?”

Sarma sought to contrast Gogoi’s travel with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose 2015 visit to Lahore was in an official capacity.

“When the Prime Minister visited Pakistan, he did so transparently and with the full knowledge of the Indian public. Can Gaurav Gogoi say the same?” he asked.

The Congress leader, however, dismissed the accusations as an attempt to divert attention from the real issue — the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 civilian lives, mostly tourists.

“At a time when the nation should stand united, the BJP’s IT cell and Assam’s Chief Minister are playing petty politics. We expect the government to respond strongly to Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack, not throw baseless allegations at its own citizens,” Gogoi said in a written statement.