Guwahati, February 9: Congress MP and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gaurav Gogoi on Monday strongly rebutted allegations linking him to Pakistan, describing them as politically motivated and accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of crossing “all limits” by dragging his minor children into an ongoing political controversy.
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| Gaurav Gogoi addresses a public rally in Patharughat, Assam, on Sunday. (Image:facebook.com/gauravgogoiasm) |
Addressing a press conference, Gogoi sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding his 2012 visit to Pakistan, stating that the trip was purely personal and undertaken while accompanying his wife during her professional assignment.
Gogoi said his wife, Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, was engaged in a one-year international climate change programme funded by the British government, which required travel to Pakistan. He said he accompanied her as her spouse.
According to Gogoi, their travel itinerary included Lahore and Islamabad for visa-related formalities, as well as a visit to Takshashila, which he described as a historic civilisational site. He categorically denied allegations that sensitive information was shared with Pakistani authorities.
“I am not responding to the Chief Minister’s allegations,” Gogoi said. “I am answering to the people of Assam and to the media to ensure transparency.”
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Gogoi’s sharpest criticism was reserved for what he described as references made to his five-year-old and nine-year-old children during the political exchange. Calling the move “deeply disturbing” and “unacceptable,” he said political battles must remain confined to elected representatives.
“I am ready to face any attack directed at me personally,” he said, “but I will not remain silent if my family, Congress workers or ordinary citizens are targeted.”
He further accused the Chief Minister of lowering the standards of political discourse in Assam by involving children in partisan disputes.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee used the press conference to strongly rebut the allegations, terming them baseless and a diversionary tactic. Party leaders reiterated that Elizabeth Gogoi’s work was part of a recognised international environmental initiative and had no connection to national security or intelligence matters.
The war of words marks a further escalation in tensions between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress in Assam, as both sides trade sharp accusations in an increasingly charged political atmosphere.
