Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has leveled grave allegations against Congress MP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, accusing him of maintaining undisclosed ties with Pakistan and obscuring facts about his family’s citizenship status.
In a press conference held in Dispur on Sunday, Sarma presented what he claimed was evidence of a clandestine ten-day visit by Gogoi to Pakistan more than a decade ago. According to the Chief Minister, the Congress leader crossed into Pakistan via the Attari land border on December 14, 2013, and remained there until December 24.
“Why was this visit kept secret? Pakistan is not a tourist destination,” Sarma questioned, asking pointedly what the MP was doing in the neighboring country for such an extended period.
The Chief Minister specifically challenged Gogoi’s prior defense that the trip was to visit his wife, Elizabeth, who was working there. Sarma countered this by citing employment timelines, stating that Elizabeth had already returned to India on June 1, 2012, to work for ‘Lead India’ in Delhi. “When Gaurav went to Pakistan in 2013, she was not working there; she was employed in India,” he asserted, accusing Gogoi of lying about the purpose of the trip to avoid scrutiny.
Sarma also produced documents allegedly showing that Gogoi’s visa, originally issued for Lahore, was modified at the behest of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry to include other cities. “Who did he meet? Why was he given a red carpet welcome?” Sarma asked, suggesting the itinerary change was suspicious.
Beyond the Pakistan visit, Sarma opened a second front of attack regarding the citizenship status of Gogoi’s immediate family. He expressed dismay that the grandchild of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi had “renounced Indian citizenship.”
Sarma detailed that on May 12, 2022—a period free from Covid restrictions—Gaurav Gogoi visited the passport office in New Delhi to surrender his son’s Indian passport after the child acquired citizenship of another nation. He noted a discrepancy in the documents, pointing out that while the Indian passport listed the child’s religion as Hindu, the subsequent British passport made no mention of religion.
Furthermore, Sarma highlighted that Gogoi’s daughter is a British citizen by birth and has been declared a Christian in submissions to Indian authorities. “Out of a family of four, only one is an Indian citizen. One is Hindu, two are Christian, and one’s status is unknown. Gaurav Gogoi is a minority in his own home,” Sarma remarked, adding, “And yet, he wants to be the Chief Minister of Assam.”
The Chief Minister also insinuated that Gogoi’s parliamentary conduct was influenced by his foreign travels. He alleged that after returning from Pakistan, the then-first-time MP began asking sensitive questions in Parliament regarding military preparedness, defense imports, air squadrons, submarines, nuclear plants, and uranium reserves. “Did he undergo any training during those ten days?” Sarma asked rhetorically.
On the legal front, Sarma accused Gogoi of concealing information about his wife’s employment and bank accounts in election affidavits, an offense he noted could attract a one-year prison term. While acknowledging that the Assam Police lacks the jurisdiction to approach international bodies like Interpol or RAW directly, Sarma announced that the state cabinet has referred the matter to the Union Home Ministry for a high-level investigation.
“We are not arresting him now because it would be labeled as political vendetta,” Sarma clarified, stating that the state has refrained from immediate legal action out of respect for Gogoi’s parliamentary position, pending a decision from the Centre.