Himanta questions Congress MP wife’s Pakistan link; Gogoi says resign if you can’t prove allegation

Initiating the exchange without naming anyone, Sarma posted on X: “Questions for the Honourable Member of Parliament from the Congress Party: 1. Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit?”

The CM also questioned whether it is true that the MP’s wife “continues to receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India”.

“If so, may we ask why a Pakistan-based organisation is paying a salary for activities conducted in India,” Sarma asked.

He also asked about the citizenship status of the MP’s wife and two children. “Are they Indian citizens, or do they hold the citizenship of any other country? Many more questions will follow,” he posted.

Sharing Sarma’s post, Gogoi countered with three questions. “Questions for the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam: 1) Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations against me and my wife being agents of an enemy country? 2) Will you take questions on your own children and wife?”

Gogoi also asked whether the state police would arrest those “linked to coal mafia who are ravaging the hills of Assam and making crores of undeclared money”.

The Congress leader was referring to the Enforcement Directorate’s findings that illegal rat-hole quarrying was “rampantly” being carried out in Meghalaya and a “syndicate” with people from both states was ensuring that trucks containing illegal coal were clearing the border and entering Assam from Meghalaya. Gogoi had posted about this matter on X on Saturday.

The Assam government had in February formed an SIT to probe the alleged interference of a Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn, in India’s internal affairs.

Responding to Gogoi’s post, Sarma said he or his family had no connection with Pakistan and that “sufficient materials” will be put in public domain in coming days to “expose” the Congress MP’s links with the neighbouring nation. “Wait for 10th September 2025,” the CM wrote.

Gogoi in his reply said none of his questions was answered by Sarma and repeated the three queries.

At the end of the questions, he added, “Wait for 2026”, indicating Assembly elections next year.

Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal also slammed Sarma for his posts on Gogoi. “The Assam CM’s pathetic, below the belt comments” about Gogoi prove that “he is unfit to be in public life”, he said.

“He is making totally baseless attacks on Gaurav Gogoi’s family, questioning their loyalty and diverting attention from the scathing corruption allegations that he must answer,” said the Congress general secretary in-charge for organisation.

Congress Media and Publicity department head Pawan Khera also supported his party colleague. “Chief Minister of Assam has crossed all limits of decency by using a fragile border situation to settle domestic political scores,” Khera said in a post on X.