Guwahati, Feb 8: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, February 8, levelled a fresh set of allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that the parliamentarian undertook an undisclosed and sensitive visit to Pakistan in 2013, a matter the Chief Minister said carries serious national security implications. Sarma also linked the allegations to Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and to Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Gogoi, calling for complete transparency from the Congress leader.
Speaking to the media, Sarma alleged that Elizabeth Gogoi had travelled to Pakistan multiple times, claiming three visits before her marriage and nine thereafter. He further asserted that Gaurav Gogoi himself made a “highly confidential” visit to Pakistan between December 14 and December 24, 2013, when he was not yet an elected Member of Parliament. According to the Chief Minister, Gogoi allegedly chose to enter Pakistan via the Attari border to keep the visit discreet and remained there for nearly ten days.
Sarma claimed that although it had earlier been stated that Elizabeth Gogoi was working in Pakistan, she had actually returned to India on June 1, 2012, and later joined LEAD India in New Delhi. He further alleged that the couple travelled together on December 15, 2013, on a visa issued for Lahore. The Chief Minister stated that Gogoi was granted permission by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry to visit Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, and demanded that the Congress MP make the relevant permission letter public.
Highlighting what he described as unusual digital behaviour, Sarma alleged that Gogoi remained completely inactive on social media throughout the duration of his alleged Pakistan visit. He pointed out that Gogoi had been regularly active online until December 13, 2013, and resumed posting only on December 25, after his return. “For those ten days, he was completely out of the digital radar,” Sarma said, claiming that this absence raised further questions.
The Chief Minister went on to allege that Gogoi’s political conduct and outlook appeared to change after the visit, suggesting that the matter warranted closer scrutiny. Without offering evidence, Sarma claimed there was reason to suspect that Gogoi may have undergone some form of training during his stay in Pakistan.
Sarma also drew attention to the fact that at the time of the alleged visit, Gogoi’s father was serving as the Chief Minister of Assam and that Gaurav Gogoi was residing at the official residence, adding to what he described as the sensitivity of the issue. He maintained that the people of Assam deserved clarity on the matter, reiterating his demand for full disclosure from the Congress MP.
