Govt can conduct probe, but we know where we stand: Gaurav Gogoi amid controversy over wife's ISI links

Guwahati: Senior Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday said that the Assam government is free to conduct any inquiry on the issue of his wife’s alleged ISI links, but he and his party know where they stand.

Gogoi said he had held discussions with the AICC on taking legal action against the BJP in this regard and steps would be taken soon.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP have been attacking Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, over his British wife Elizabeth Colburn's alleged connection with Pakistan’s spy agency.

In a press conference here, Gogoi claimed that Sarma has been changing his stance every day but “we are clear from the first day and know where we stand.” “Earlier, the chief minister had attacked me and I was the villain. But since yesterday, he has made me the victim,” the Congress leader said.

Sarma on Sunday had said the opposition leader may have been "trapped or blackmailed" in a larger anti-India conspiracy.

“On the opposite end, the Congress is firm on its stand. We are confident of our position. If they want to conduct an investigation, they can go ahead,” he said.

The government has decided to hold an inquiry and it is for the administration to answer to the people of the state, Gogoi added.

“A preliminary discussion (on the BJP’s allegation) has been held with the AICC legal cell and the necessary steps will be taken soon,” he said in reply to a question.

Asked about his meeting with the then Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit, Gogoi said, “All questions related to the work I did as a representative of Indian democracy and meetings with ambassadors and diplomats of various countries are all in the public domain.” The media had also reported about the particular meeting that has been referred to, he said.

In 2015, Basit had invited a first-term MP and his startup, Policy for Youth, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, Sarma had claimed on February 13 in an X post without naming Gogoi.

“It is customary for members of the Indian Parliament to interact with delegates of different countries to raise the concerns of the Indian public. We, and particularly I, are aware of our obligations, duties and customs,” Gogoi said.

The CM should conduct more research before attacking him, the Congress leader said adding that BJP leaders are all raising the same questions “making their intent clear”.

Gogoi said, “In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ate biryani (in Pakistan) and the chief minister tweeted: what a lovely gesture. In 2016, the PM invited ISI to Pathankot (to probe a terror attack). A few years later in Madhya Pradesh, (BJP) IT cell members were arrested for ISI links. Sons of high-level government officials have business links with Pakistani nationals. Were there any SITs set up?” Gogoi claimed that he would answer the questions asked by the BJP only when the CM replies to the queries raised by the people about the various PILs filed against his close aides.

“Everybody is asking the question: why is the chief minister doing this (attacking Gogoi)? And everyone is coming to the same conclusion that he is insecure and is afraid of the Congress and the people of Assam,” he claimed.

Gogoi asserted that Sarma and the saffron party were resorting to diversionary tactics as they are afraid of losing the 2026 state assembly elections.

People have commented that the chief minister seemed “anxious, insecure and not confident” at the press conference he held on Sunday, he claimed.

The chief minister is afraid that 12 months from now, there will be elections in Assam and a Congress-led government will be formed, Gogoi claimed.

After the 2026 polls, Sarma will be forced to answer questions people are asking and till then, the Congress will work unitedly with the people of Assam, raise their issues and in the end, it is the people who will be victorious, Gogoi added.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President Bhupen Borah, who was also present at the press conference, said that the allegations brought against the MP and his wife are a “politically motivated smear campaign to divert public attention from the failures of the BJP government in the state.

“APCC stands firmly with Gaurav Gogoi and his family. We challenge the BJP to present real evidence instead of spreading fake narratives. People are watching and they will not be fooled by these diversionary tactics,” he said.

Borah urged the chief minister to focus on governance and the real issues affecting the people of the state instead of “engaging in political mudsling”.