Guwahati: At last Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi admitted that he went to Pakistan and his wife was working in Pakistan for a year.
Breaking months of silence over allegations of covert ties with Pakistan, Congress MP and newly appointed Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Gaurav Gogoi, on Wednesday, launched a blistering counterattack, dismissing the claims as “political theatre”.
In a 43-minute press conference in New Delhi, the Jorhat MP addressed head-on a series of accusations — from allegedly being aided by Pakistan’s ISI to claims about his wife drawing salary from foreign agencies.
“I visited Pakistan 12 years ago, in 2013, with my wife. Every aspect of the travel was cleared by the then Indian government,” Gogoi clarified, explaining that his wife, a public policy professional, had been posted in Pakistan as part of a South Asia climate change project in 2011.
“She returned in 2012–13 and took up a new job in 2015. During that period, I visited her,” he said. Based on this, Assam CM is trying to make a 'C' grade movie which will be released on September 10," Gogoi said.
Taking aim at the BJP, Gogoi questioned why the Centre had taken no action if the trip had indeed been suspect.
“The Modi government has had all the resources to probe me. Why hasn’t a single inquiry been launched? Because there was none,” he asserted.
He went on to call the controversy a calculated distraction. “This is nothing but a tool of character assassination — a diversion from the BJP’s mounting failures and the alleged misuse of state power by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s family,” Gogoi said.
The Assam Chief Minister has countered Gogoi's admission with grave allegations, suggesting Gogoi's ties with the Pakistani establishment.
"There exists every reasonable ground, supported by credible inputs and documented information, to suggest that Gogoi has maintained proximity with the Pakistani establishment," the Chief Minister wrote on social media.
The Assam government plans to release the findings from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on the matter on September 10.
Gogoi has pushed back against the allegations, questioning the timing and motives behind their emergence.
"Further, we want to question Assam CM, if the said allegation is true and we have done anything wrong then whose government is in power for the last 11-12 years... what is the central investigation agency doing," he stated, highlighting what he perceives as political manoeuvring with elections approaching.
The Chief Minister’s allegations have extended to the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, accusing them of promoting a compromised individual into public life.
Meanwhile, Gogoi insists on the transparency of his public record, questioning the lack of action from the government and investigation agencies over the past decade.
The Government of Assam has reiterated its commitment to transparency, with the Chief Minister asserting that the SIT's findings will be fully disclosed to the public.
"The Government of Assam, committed to transparency and accountability, will make everything public on 10th September," the Chief Minister stated, promising the people of Assam and the nation the complete truth.
As the political confrontation continues, Gogoi remains firm in his stance, arguing that the allegations are politically motivated. He maintains that his party's leadership has dismantled any doubts regarding his actions, suggesting the accusations are part of an "election mindset."
A political storm erupted in Assam after Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi publicly acknowledged his visit to Pakistan over a decade ago, triggering sharp accusations from Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
While Gogoi clarified that the 2013 trip was tied to his wife's professional assignment, the Chief Minister has alleged deeper links with the Pakistani establishment, promising to unveil explosive findings from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on September 10.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ex MP Ripun Bora has been summoned by the Chief Minister's Vigilance Cell for questioning in connection with the ongoing investigation into alleged Pakistan links involving Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
The summons, issued under CID registered case number 5/25, requires Bora to appear before the CM Vigilance Cell at 11 am on Thursday.
Bora, addressing the press, claimed that the summons is a "clear act of political vendetta" and linked it to his recent press conference in which he raised multiple questions against Chief Minister in connections with the allegations made against the APCC chief.
“I received a notice from the CM Vigilance Cell asking me to appear regarding a person named Ali Toushiq Sheikh, reportedly based in Islamabad, Pakistan. The allegation is that Gaurav Gogoi has developed links in Pakistan through this person. I’m shocked. I heard the name of the person from Islamabad today for the first time,” Bora said.
