Guwahati: A political war of words erupted in Assam on Sunday after Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi sharply attacked Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over allegations linking him to a Pakistan-related controversy, dismissing the claims as sensationalism and political theatre.
Reacting to Sarma’s press conference, Gogoi took to social media to mock the allegations, calling the briefing “worse than a C-grade cinema” and describing it as the “most flop press conference of the century.”
He accused the chief minister of presenting what he termed “mindless and bogus points” and ridiculed the narrative as a manufactured controversy.
The chief minister, however, maintained that the matter was serious and could not be treated lightly.
He said the issue involved Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and Elizabeth Gogoi, the spouse of Gaurav Gogoi, and argued that the involvement of a sitting Member of Parliament gave the case national significance.
Sarma said the matter was first examined by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Assam Police, after which a formal case was registered at the CID police station.
The SIT’s findings were placed before the state Cabinet, which, according to the Chief Minister, concluded that the sensitivity and wider implications of the case warranted a probe by a central agency.
The controversy reportedly stemmed from a photograph that went viral on social media, allegedly showing Gogoi accompanying a group of youths to the Pakistan Embassy in 2015, during the tenure of then Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya: Over 300 leaders, workers join NPP in Garo Hills ahead of GHADC polls
Sarma said such an interaction could not be considered routine given the “sensitive and adversarial” nature of India–Pakistan relations.
Defending the state government’s actions, Sarma said the authorities were duty-bound to investigate all dimensions of the issue, particularly when it involved public representatives and matters of national interest.
Gogoi, in his response, sought to counter the narrative by shifting focus to the Congress party’s ongoing “Xomoy Parivartan Yatra,” claiming it had exposed alleged land encroachments involving the chief minister and his family, and contrasting it with what he described as a failed attempt to divert public attention.
As Report
Mentioned in the AP7AM
