SIT report points to serious allegations: Himanta

Guwahati, Sep 11 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the alleged Pakistani links of state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and his family, contains serious allegations, which he described as a matter of "deep concern".

"I will raise the matter in the cabinet and discuss it with my ministerial colleagues'', the CM said on the sidelines of the campaign for BTC elections at Udalguri.

Sarma said he had gone through a part of the report on Wednesday night and there are serious allegations against the Congress MP and his British wife.

''The content of the report will be soon made public under the legal process. I will share as much information as possible with the media barring the confidential details'', Sarma said.

He claimed that the Congress leaders ''are scared but ultimately the truth will prevail." The SIT, led by Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, formally submitted the report to the CM on Wednesday evening.

The CM, in a post on 'X', later said the SIT report is a 96-page document, ''prepared with limited means, yet carrying heavy truths. Just a glance was enough to stir deep pain — showing how easily roots can be cut, and legacy bartered for shadows''.

''The true sorrow is not in the fall of a father, but in the silence of two innocent children—too young to know what has been taken from them. My prayers remain with them'', he added.

Speaking in Udalguri, Sarma said three members of the state Congress president's family are foreigners, but he is dancing at party programmes.

''The way he danced and celebrated yesterday appeared strange and inappropriate. If I was in the Congress today, I would have pushed him off the stage as the party was once led by people like Mahatma Gandhi, who were at the heart of India's freedom struggle'', the CM said.

Gogoi was seen dancing Bihu with party workers at a joining ceremony of members from other political parties, including the BJP, at the Congress headquarters here.

Following the release of the report, Gogoi had said, "The people of Assam witnessed two scenes today — a mega-hit political programme of the Congress and the expected super flop show of the Assam CM.” Sarma further said the Congress president cannot fool the people of the state.

''If he really thinks that we are fools, then he should make British passports for us too. If a British passport is so valuable, then the youth from tea garden areas should also have these. Why not give these to Bodo and Rabha youth also'', the CM asked.

He said Congress leaders do not care about the welfare of the country or people.

Gogoi had claimed that he went to Pakistan, but not a single media house or editor asked him what he did there for 10 days, Sarma said.

''If there had been three foreigners in the house of Himanta Biswa Sarma, what would the media have done then - the media would have created a huge hue and cry'', he said.

Some journalists or editors may not take this seriously, but it is a serious matter for us and ''in the end, the people will decide whether this person can be their leader or not'', the CM said.

On Wednesday, the CM had claimed that the SIT had established the involvement of a British national - who is also married to an Indian Member of Parliament - in the larger nefarious activities of Pakistan national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.

''The investigation also sheds light on how the Ministry of Interior, Govt of Pakistan facilitated the visit of an Hon’ble Member of Parliament from Assam in their country'', the chief minister had posted on 'X', after the SIT report was submitted to him.

On February 17, the Assam Cabinet constituted a SIT to investigate the anti-India activities of one Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, and his associates, he said.

''During the course of this exhaustive investigation, the SIT has unearthed startling facts which point towards a larger conspiracy aimed at undermining the sovereignty of our nation'', Sarma said.

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. PTI DG DG MNB