GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday alleged that Deputy leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi had "visited Pakistan at the invitation of its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)," remarks that drew strong criticism from the party.
“Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan at ISI’s invitation. We have documents to back this claim. He visited Pakistan definitely to receive training. He went there after receiving a letter from the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan. It would have been different had he been invited by the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Culture or some university,” Sarma alleged.
Later, he took to X claiming, “I reiterate, with full authority and responsibility as the Chief Minister of Assam, that Shri Gaurab Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam, visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Ministry of Interior of the Government of Pakistan. He spent several days there. We are enquiring further into the details surrounding this visit and related associations.”
“I have been saying it from the chief minister’s chair after every 24 hours because it is a serious issue. I have seen the evidence myself but I need time to bring the (official) papers. I will show you the papers at a press conference on September 10,” he further claimed.
Rubbishing Sarma's claims as "insane and nonsense," Gogoi stated that the chief minister is following a script "worse than a B-grade film."
"It is said to cover up one lie a person has to say countless lies. That is exactly what the Chief Minister is doing. He is not giving out any facts and simply behaving like an IT cell troll. A Chief Minister should not be a troll. If he has any facts supporting his most recent allegation he should put out in public domain. The farce cannot be hidden for too long," the Congress MP wrote in a post on X.
Gogoi pointed to Sarma's earlier accusations regarding a "supposed body double” of Rahul Gandhi used during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Assam.
"99% of what the Chief Minister has been saying is nonsense. He should put out the facts in public domain and stop hiding behind an imaginary September deadline. I doubt if even in September the Chief Minister can put out any concrete facts," he said.
In a different post, Gogoi stated that he is "worried" about the CM's mental health.
"It is often said that when there is something bothering at home, it reflects in the mental state of the person. We will ensure that after 2026 he gets to have some rest," he wrote.
Assembly elections in Assam are due next year.
Reacting to Sarma's statements, Congress on Sunday that "worse than atrocious" personal attacks on Gogoi are meant to divert people's attention from the BJP leader's "monumental corruption and misdeeds."
"The personal attacks on my colleague Gaurav Gogoi being continued by the Assam CM are worse than atrocious. Mr HBS is simply unable to come to grips with the fact that a year back the people of Jorhat voted resoundingly in favour of Gaurav Gogoi and totally rejected the campaign managed by the Assam CM and his colleagues," he said.
"These attacks are also meant to divert attention away from the Assam CM's own monumental corruption and misdeeds. He knows well that he is the outgoing CM of Assam and hence his increasing desperation," Ramesh said.
