Guwahati: After Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma made public the SIT (Special Investigation Team) report and levelled explosive allegations against Gaurav Gogoi over alleged links with Pakistan, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president clarified his position at a press conference on Monday. Responding to the Chief Minister’s stand on Gogoi’s Pakistan visit and family-related issues, Gogoi challenged the claims and compared the entire episode to a “flop film (Gaurav Gogoi Pakistan Allegations).”
SIT Report and Legal Position
Replying to the Chief Minister’s allegations, Gaurav Gogoi said the government had failed to produce even a single piece of evidence to support the charges against him. He questioned why, if the issue genuinely involved national security, the government had kept the SIT report hidden for nearly six months. Completely rejecting the allegations of links with Pakistan, he said:
“Not a single piece of evidence has been found to support the allegations made against me by the Chief Minister. That is why the SIT report was kept hidden from the people of Assam for almost six months. If national security was really at stake, why was there such a delay of six months, and why was the matter not referred to central agencies for investigation?”
Addressing questions on why the Congress had not approached the court on this matter, Gogoi said the party did not want to obstruct the SIT investigation. In his words:
“Since an SIT was constituted and was conducting an investigation, we did not want to create any legal hurdles. Had we approached the court, it might have restrained the SIT or imposed conditions. At that time, we did not want to be seen as a party obstructing an investigation into a matter linked to national security. That is why, from day one, we said we would not create any legal obstacles for the SIT. Now the issue has turned into a political spectacle among the people of Assam, which itself is our political success. The Chief Minister fell into our trap by making the SIT report public, holding a two-and-a-half-hour press conference, yet failing to present a single piece of evidence.”
The Story Behind the Pakistan Visit
On the issue of his visit to Pakistan, Gaurav Gogoi offered a detailed clarification. He said the information about his travel to Pakistan had already been with the Narendra Modi-led government since 2014. He explained:
“The details of my visit to Pakistan have been with the Government of India since 2014. When I became a Lok Sabha MP in 2014, I submitted my passport to the central government as I was eligible for a diplomatic passport. Therefore, all information related to my Pakistan visit has been available with the Government of India since then.”
He further added:
“The purpose of my visit was also well known. My wife was in Pakistan for about a year for an international assignment. In late 2013 and early 2014, I travelled to Pakistan with my wife, Elizabeth Colebourn Gogoi. She was working there on international climate change issues for an organisation funded by the British. Since my wife was staying in Pakistan for work, I went there to see how she was living, how she managed daily life, where she shopped, and similar personal matters. I first went to Lahore, and later to Islamabad, where her office was located. All these visits were carried out strictly in accordance with prescribed rules and without any violation.”
Family Citizenship and Parliamentary Questions
Responding to criticism regarding his children’s citizenship, Gogoi spoke about his personal life, saying:
“I did not grow up seeing my father much. He was always among the people, and my mother raised me. I have entrusted the responsibility of raising my children to their mother. Since I am busy with politics, we decided that the children would stay with their mother, and that is why their citizenship status changed. When my children turn 18, they will be free to choose their citizenship independently.”
He expressed strong resentment over the Chief Minister publicly naming his minor children in the media, alleging that this amounted to a violation of Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and said he would seek legal remedy.
On criticism over raising questions in Parliament related to national security matters (such as border security and the LAC), Gogoi said:
“Every MP has the right to ask questions on issues related to the country. Is there any restriction on an MP from Assam asking questions about the country’s western border? Parliamentary committees scrutinise all questions submitted, and if they are inappropriate, they can be disallowed. I asked questions, and the central government answered them. If the central government had no objection in replying, why does the Assam Chief Minister have a problem?”
Collective Response from Congress Leadership
MPs Pradyut Bordoloi and Rakibul Hussain were also present at the press conference and strongly criticised the Chief Minister. Pradyut Bordoloi described the entire issue as an imaginary story, saying it was a “fabricated tale meant to mislead people.”
In his concluding remarks, Gaurav Gogoi reiterated that he would continue his politics based on the ideals of Tarun Gogoi. He alleged that such baseless controversies were being created only to divert public attention from the Congress party’s ongoing “Time for Change” movement.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Releases SIT Report Alleging Gaurav Gogoi’s Pakistan Links