No Pakistani link in SIT report of Assam police: Gaurav Gogoi to CM Himanta

Sarma and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been attacking Gogoi over his wife's alleged connection with Pakistan's spy agency ISI.

Guwahati: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Monday, February 9, claimed that there was nothing in the police report to substantiate Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations of his “Pakistani links.”

Gogoi also questioned why Sarma was ‘sitting’ over the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report for six months if there was any evidence of him being involved in ‘anti-national’ activities.

The Congress’ deputy leader in Lok Sabha said he will be exploring legal action against Sarma for publicly revealing the passport and other details of his minor children.

Addressing a press conference a day after Sarma revealed the findings of the SIT probe into Gogoi’s ‘Pakistani link’, he said, “The CM did not want to reveal the SIT report. He sat over it for six months. He went page by page through it but could not find any evidence to back his allegations of me undergoing some training (in Pakistan), being an ISI agent, etc.

“If the findings were so important from the national security point of view, why did he wait for six months? If help of central and international agencies was needed for the probe, why did he sit over it?” Gogoi asked.

Sarma accused Gogoi’s wife of having links with ISI

Sarma and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been attacking Gogoi over his wife’s alleged connection with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI, with the state government forming a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged interference of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, claimed to have links with Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn, in India’s internal affairs.

Revealing details of the SIT report on Sunday, February 8, Sarma had alleged that Gogoi, Colburn and Sheikh have a “deeper connection”, and information from the IB was secretly provided to the neighbouring nation.

He had said the Assam government has decided to refer the case and the SIT report to the central government for further investigation.

Dismissing the allegations brought against him by Sarma based on the SIT report, Gogoi said “dragging” his minor children into it was a “new low for even the chief minister”.

“Details about my children aged 5 and 9 years were put out in public. I want to warn the CM that we also know all about your children, who are much older, but we don’t want to reveal anything. Don’t force me to do so,” Gogoi said.

On a question over his children’s British citizenship, Gogoi said they are mainly looked after by their mother as he remains busy with his public life. “Till they are 18 years old, the mother is looking after them. After they become adults, they can take their own decisions.”

He also mentioned that there are instances of children of several BJP leaders surrendering their Indian citizenship, including the nephew of Sarma.

On his 10-day stay in Pakistan in December 2013, Gogoi claimed that his wife had visited the neighbouring country for work-related purposes and he had accompanied her.

Gogoi said his wife had worked on an international programme in Pakistan for a year in 2012, and was later posted in India as part of the same work, which led her to visit the neighbouring nation again.

Gogoi maintained that his visit was on valid permissions and his personal passport, which he submitted to the Centre in 2014 after being elected as MP, has all the records, including VISA permissions.

The Congress leader questioned Sarma’s visits to Bangladesh and said, “The CM has gone to Bangladesh 10 times; I had gone (to Pakistan) once.”

He also asked “Who were in Singapore after Zubeen Garg’s death and whether it was true as alleged by many that the government-sponsored programme continued for three days”.

Wife does not hold bank account in Pakistan, Gogoi clarifies

Gogoi further clarified that his wife does not hold any active bank account in Pakistan, nor were any information sourced from the IB incorporated in the reports she submitted to her higher-ups after shifting to India.

On Sarma raising suspicion over Gogoi’s questions in Parliament regarding India’s security and defence matters, the Congress leader hit back by asking why a MP from Assam cannot be interested in affairs of the nation.

“Moreover, if the Lok Sabha secretariat thinks that a question is not valid or information cannot be revealed, it gets cancelled,” he added.

Gogoi said he has refrained from taking legal recourse against the CM as any stay order would have led Sarma to claim that the Congress leader was trying to hide the truth.

Gogoi rejected Sarma’s claim that the CM had not revealed the SIT findings immediately after the report was submitted, as popular singer Zubeen Garg had died soon afterwards, and the people were mourning his death.

“The SIT report was submitted on September 10 and Zubeen da died on September 19,” he said.

The Congress leader claimed that Sarma wanted to delay contents of the SIT report till just before the polls, but was forced to make it public sooner as he was cornered after the opposition party exposed the ‘land grabbing’ by the CM and his family.

Gogoi claimed there was threat to his life but he was being denied the security cover given to the state Congress president.

“He (Sarma) should focus on real issues of the state, like ST status for six communities, rampant drug abuse, and other problems,” Gogoi added.