GUWAHATI: Upping the ante on Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday claimed the Jorhat MP had met a Pakistani Army official during his visit to the neighbouring country.
“Not only did he go to Pakistan, he had also met an official of Pakistan’s Army,” Sarma told the media during panchayat poll campaign.
So, is Gogoi’s visit to Pakistan a crime? “It’s a big crime,” replied Sarma who also said, “There will be a big action. I will take action myself.”
“If we can put Aminul Islam (MLA of All India United Democratic Front) behind bars for praising Pakistan, the action against somebody who visited Pakistan will definitely be big,” the chief minister said.
Further talking about action against Gogoi, he said, “The papers (evidence) have to arrive from Pakistan, England. If I say something now without evidence, will you accept it? I will give the evidence by September 10.”
He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would punish the Pakistanis while he would punish the ones (Pakistan’s sympathisers) living in Assam.
The controversy surrounding Gogoi erupted in February when BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia stated, “Very disturbing and serious facts have come to light that deputy leader of Opposition Mr Gaurav Gogoi’s wife has links with Pakistan and the ISI…Gaurav Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth Colburn has links with one Ali Tauqeer Sheikh who happens to be Pakistan Planning Commission advisor. This is a serious issue which poses a threat to national security.”
Sarma later stated that Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had invited Gogoi in 2015, then a first-time MP, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. He also said that Gogoi had raised sensitive questions on defence matters in Parliament after his marriage to Elizabeth.
The Assam Police have already registered a case against Sheikh, and unknown others for their alleged anti-India activities. A special investigation team is probing the case. Gogoi told multiple times that he was open to any kind of investigation.
Gogoi demands apology from Himanta
The Jorhat MP said Sarma’s allegation that women of Assam would compromise to secure a job was disgraceful.
“The fact that the Chief Minister makes this statement at a political rally during the ongoing panchayat elections marks a new low for the political discourse in Assam. Assamese women are highly respected and empowered in our society. From the days of the freedom struggle to the present day, the women have done our society proud,” Gogoi said.
“The Chief Minister should be mature enough to apologise,” he added.
Last week, the Congress had set a 24-hour deadline before Sarma demanding an apology for his comment that women chose a “wrong path” to secure government jobs during the Congress rule. Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress had lodged a complaint with the National Commission for Women in this regard.
Sarma said his statement was based on the findings of a panel that probed a cash-for-jobs scam.