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This is an archive article published on February 12, 2025
Assam CM Himanta’s latest: Gaurav Gogoi’s wife has ISI links; Congress leader responds: ‘Masala before elections’
His statement came in the wake of some social media accounts raising alarm over Elizabeth Gogoi having worked in Pakistan as well during her time working at the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), Asia between 2011 and 2015.
Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu presented the bill to regulate private coaching centres and improve the quality of education for students preparing for competitive exams. (File Photo)
A section of BJP workers and leaders, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has launched an offensive against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, raising questions about his wife’s foreign citizenship and her having worked in Pakistan in the past. Gogoi Wednesday rubbished this as politicking ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly election.
In a reference to Gaurav’s wife Elizabeth Gogoi — who is originally from the UK and works in climate policy — Sarma posted on X on Wednesday morning that Indian Foreign Services officers require permission from the Union government to marry foreigners and commit to their spouses acquiring Indian citizenship.
“However, allowing a foreign spouse of a lawmaker to retain foreign citizenship for 12 years is far too long. Loyalty to the nation must always take precedence over all considerations,” he wrote.
His statement came in the wake of some social media accounts raising an alarm over Elizabeth Gogoi having worked in Pakistan as well during her time working at the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), Asia, between 2011 and 2015.
Himanta escalated his allegations in the afternoon, posting: “Serious questions need to be answered regarding allegations of ISI links, leading young individuals to the Pakistan Embassy for brainwashing and radicalization, and the refusal to take Indian citizenship for the past 12 years…”
Gogoi laughed off the allegations while speaking to reporters on Wednesday, saying he “trusts the conscience of the public.”
“Normally these kinds of things emerge close to elections. Last time when I was contesting for the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat, these questions started coming about a month before elections. ‘Why did he marry a woman from another country? Could he not find a woman in Assam?’ These ‘masala’ things come up around elections. But this time, elections are not even close. There is one year left [for the Assam assembly elections] and the BJP has already started these things,” he said. Gogoi accused Sarma of being “doubtful” of whether he will be selected as the BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate in 2026.
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Taking a dig at Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sarma owning a media network which includes TV news channels and digital portals, Gogoi said, “If my wife is a Pakistan agent, I am an Indian agent and India will win… What will I argue with them? My wife does not own her own channel where we can break this disinformation. We don’t have our own portal. It’s okay; we leave it to the conscience of the people. The people know very well what’s true.”
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