Report on Gogoi's alleged Pak links to be made public only after I review it: Himanta

Golaghat/ Guwahati, Sept 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he would first review the report submitted by the SIT, which is probing the alleged Pakistani links of state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and his family, and only then would it be made public.

The SIT submitted the report in the evening.

"I will receive the report after returning to Guwahati. I will go through the report. After that, the government will inform the people about the report and the future course of action. This is a serious inquiry and is related to the nation's security. After going through the report in detail, a decision will be taken on the action to be taken," he said.

"I am not here for a film performance.... that I will call a press conference immediately after the report is submitted and make an announcement on its content... the media is expecting this, but the government does not function in that manner. I have to read the report, and only then can I say the action that needs to be taken," he added.

Sarma was speaking to reporters in Golaghat district, where he reviewed the arrangements for PM Narendra Modi's visit to Numaligarh Refinery on September 14.

He lauded the SIT for sticking to the deadline of submitting the report.

Sarma has been attacking Gogoi and his British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, over the last few months, alleging that they have a connection with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI.

He had said earlier that the cabinet would meet before September 15 to decide on the next steps in the investigation.

"Assam SIT has a limited scope and cannot access telephonic records beyond two years, but the NIA can trace up to 2011 or even 2010. Within these limitations, our team has done a very good job, but ultimately it is the Union Ministry of Home Affairs that has to take over the investigation," he had said.

Gogoi, the Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha, had earlier claimed that the allegations levelled by the CM are like a "C-grade Bollywood film", which is going to flop as the people of Assam understand everything. PTI DG DG SOM