‘Planted By Foreign Power’: Himanta Sarma Says Gaurav Gogoi Is ‘100% Pakistani Agent’ | Politics News

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi | File Image

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday continued his tirade against Congress MP from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi, and claimed that the latter is a “Pakistani agent, planted by a foreign power”.

“Gaurav Gogoi is a Pakistani agent; he is purely that. He has been planted by a foreign power in our country,” news agency PTI quoted Sarma as saying on the sidelines of an event in Guwahati.

The Assam Chief Minister has repeatedly targeted Gogoi and his wife, Elizabeth Coulburn, in the past over alleged links with Pakistan. In September, Sarma claimed that the SIT probing the alleged Pakistani links of the Gogoi family had uncovered “startling facts” suggesting a larger conspiracy to “undermine India’s sovereignty.”

Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, had earlier claimed that the allegations levelled by the CM were like a “C-grade Bollywood film”, which is going to flop as the people of Assam understand everything.

Asked about the chief minister’s self-set deadline of September 10 to reveal the “evidence”, he said, “If someone thinks that I don’t have the documents to show, let me tell them… I will do what needs to be done.” Sarma also said Gogoi was welcome to file a defamation case if the allegations were false.

Earlier in February, Sarma had raised questions about a meeting Gaurav Gogoi held 10 years ago with the then Pakistan High Commissioner to India. The state government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the alleged interference of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn, in India’s internal affairs.

The SIT, led by Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, had formally submitted its report to the Chief Minister on September 10.

Gogoi, however, has vehemently dismissed the allegations against him and his wife. The Congress MP had asked Sarma to provide evidence for the allegations he was levelling.

The saffron camp had further alleged that Gogoi had visited the Pakistan High Commission after he was elected to Lok Sabha in the 2014 elections without seeking permission from the Lok Sabha Speaker, Home Ministry and other related ministries. After his visit, Gogoi’s organisation ’Policy for Youth’ wrote an article in a newspaper accusing BSF personnel of misbehaving with “illegal women Bangladeshi intruders”.

Elizabeth Gogoi, born Elizabeth Colebourn in the UK, holds a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics (LSE) and married Gaurav Gogoi in 2013.

She previously worked with the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). According to her author profile on the CDKN website, where her last article dates back to 2014, she coordinated the organisation’s work in India and Nepal.Q.

(With inputs from agencies)