Guwahati, Feb 8: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, February 8, raised questions over the repeated visits of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh to India during the Congress-led UPA government, alleging his close association with the wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
Addressing the media, Sarma claimed that Sheikh—who, he alleged, has frequently criticised India on international platforms—was allowed to visit the country as many as 13 times during the UPA regime. According to the Chief Minister, all these visits took place when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister and when Gaurav Gogoi and his wife, Elizabeth Gogoi, were “closely connected to the power structure of India.”
Sarma questioned how visas were repeatedly issued to Sheikh despite his purported anti-India stance, alleging that the Pakistani national was even accompanied by senior officials from Pakistan during some of these visits. “It is an interesting coincidence that once Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh stopped visiting India altogether,” Sarma said, suggesting a shift in policy after 2014.
The Chief Minister further alleged that Elizabeth Gogoi had travelled from the United States to Pakistan in 2011 and was subsequently transferred to India, while continuing to receive remuneration from Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. He claimed that these developments raise serious concerns, particularly in light of Sheikh’s alleged links with Pakistani establishments.
Emphasising that the matter goes beyond political rivalry, Sarma said the issue concerns national interest and transparency. He called on the Congress party to clarify the circumstances under which Sheikh was granted repeated access to India during its tenure.
