New Delhi: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has strongly refuted allegations made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia, linking his wife, Elizabeth Colburn, to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. Gogoi called the accusations “laughable” and said they were aimed at diverting attention from the BJP’s declining popularity in Assam.
“If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, then I am a R&AW agent of India,” Gogoi said, dismissing the claims as baseless. “The Assam chief minister is making these allegations only to divert attention from the allegations against him,” he added.
BJP’s Allegations
BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia claimed that Elizabeth Colburn had ties with Pakistan’s Planning Commission advisor Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and the ISI. He demanded clarification from Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, arguing that the issue was a matter of national security.
Sarma further escalated the controversy by pointing to Gogoi’s 2015 visit to Pakistan, where he traveled with a group of young Indians on an invitation from then-Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit. The Assam CM suggested that Gogoi’s parliamentary focus on sensitive defense matters, including India’s Coast Guard radar installations and arms factories, changed after this trip.
Congress MP Hits Back
Gogoi accused the BJP of running a coordinated smear campaign, especially in the run-up to the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for next year. “The BJP has no real issues to talk about and instead resorts to baseless allegations. The people of Jorhat rejected their smear campaign last year and elected me,” he said.
He also alleged that Sarma was making such claims out of fear of losing power. “Fearing that he might lose his chair, he is trying to divert attention by attacking me and my family. The BJP is on shaky ground in Assam, and people are losing faith in them,” Gogoi added.
Himanta Sarma’s Fresh Allegations
Following Gogoi’s response, Sarma doubled down on his claims, stating that Colburn had previously worked for an American senator with alleged close ties to the Pakistani establishment. He also alleged that she had spent time in Pakistan working for an organization widely believed to be a front for the ISI.
Sarma further accused Gogoi of being involved in a “conversion cartel” and receiving foreign funds from figures like billionaire philanthropist George Soros to “destabilize national security.”
Political Repercussions
The war of words between Gogoi and Sarma highlights the rising political tensions in Assam as the state gears up for elections. While BJP leaders continue to press for a detailed clarification from Congress, Gogoi remains firm in dismissing the allegations as an attempt to malign his reputation.
Sources By Agencies