GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday challenged state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi to divulge details of his property in Pakistan and the UK.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the BJP's manifesto release programme here, Sarma asked the Jorhat Lok Sabha MP to give the list of his properties outside the country to the Election Commission.
"Gogoi has not given the details of his wife's income from Pakistan, nor has he mentioned her bank account in the neighbouring country," he said.
The chief minister asserted that he is making a clear allegation against Gogoi that he has properties both in Pakistan as well as in London while Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi has alleged that he even has property in America.
"This is not my allegation but I want him to give details of his transactions in Pakistan in his affidavit to the Election Commission," he said.
Sarma said that he was making these allegations, "with responsibility and from the chief minister's office that Gogoi has properties in his wife's name in both Pakistan and London which he has not shown in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission".
The CM said that if there is no property, then he should submit the transactions of his wife's bank account in Pakistan, even if it is an old one, before four neutral persons, mentioning the names of four journalists.
''These four persons should examine the bank accounts and tell the people whether it is correct or I am telling a lie'', he added.
There are many ''serious allegations'' against Gogoi, which ''I do not want to bring out now to spoil the election atmosphere, but after the polls, I will bring forward more serious information on this issue which has come to my notice,'' Sarma said.
He claimed that there was a debate on Pakistan TV recently where it was mentioned that Gogoi had visited that country as a part of an NGO.
''Now a question is raised, Gogoi was saying all this time that he had gone there privately, but Pakistan TV is claiming that he came as part of an NGO. It is evident from the debate how sympathetic people of Pakistan are towards him'', he added.
The chief minister has been attacking Gogoi and his British wife, Elizabeth Clare Gogoi, alleging that they have a connection with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and had also set up a SIT to probe the matter.
Regarding the recent joining of senior Congress leaders in the BJP, Sarma said that he can bring ''anybody into BJP they are Assamese and I have the right to bring them''.
Nobody is a Congress member by birth and there is no restriction preventing me from bringing them to our party, he added.
''Go and ask Congress why they cannot keep their members with love and respect.
"What magic does Himanta have that they come to us and not stay with them? This is a question that should be posed to the Congress and not to us," Sarma asserted.
