Assam Congress: Himanta sees rival in Gaurav Gogoi, spinning ISI link out of fear

The Assam Congress has launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of attempting to malign Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi by linking to Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI. 

The party alleged that Sarma's remarks are politically motivated, aimed at discrediting Gogoi due to his growing popularity and potential candidacy as the Congress’s Chief Ministerial face in the 2026 Assembly elections.

Addressing a press conference here, senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora asserted that Sarma was scared of the popularity of Gogoi, who proved his expertise outside and inside Parliament that led to his nomination as the Deputy Leader of the party in Lok Sabha.

"Himanta Biswa Sarma is sure that he will lose the election if Congress announces Gaurav Gogoi as the CM face. Sarma has already considered Gogoi as his contender because of the latter's acceptance throughout the state," Bora said.

Winning the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in 2024 despite BJP throwing the entire might to defeat Gogoi actually uplifted the MP’s stature, he added.

“The Assam CM is trying to establish Gogoi as an ISI agent only to clear his way for 2026. However, nobody is taking him seriously as he has not furnished any evidence in support of his claims,” Bora said.

Dismissing all allegations by Sarma, the former Rajya Sabha MP said that Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn works in an international NGO, which has a network in Pakistan as well, along with other countries.

“She might have visited Pakistan or got salary for her work, what’s the problem with that? Likewise, many Pakistani people are working in India legally.

“Our External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s wife is a Japanese citizen and their second child is a British citizen. Does it mean that we should doubt Jaishankar’s patriotism?” asked Bora.

The Congress leader also cited the example of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s younger son and brother, who have connections with Pakistan in their professional career.

“Likewise, many Indian businessmen are carrying out businesses with Pakistan. If Gaurav Gogoi legally visited Pakistan and his wife legally worked in Pakistan, what is the problem? She might retain her original British passport as she travels frequently and the British passport has many advantages,” he added.

Bora also stressed that as Gogoi needs to travel widely, his children are with their mother and the citizenship has been kept as British for convenience.

“If the Indian government does not have any issue for any of the points raised against Gogoi, then why has Sarma become so restless? These are nothing but illogical,” he asserted.

Bora also claimed that Sarma raked up this Pakistani issue and tried to entangle Gogoi in it after getting to know the possibility of Gogoi being made the state president of Assam Congress by the central leadership of the party.

“The oldest party of India does not fear such tactics of Sarma. And the people of Assam will give a befitting reply to him in 2026,” he added.

The Assam CM and the BJP have been attacking Lok Sabha MP Gogoi over his wife’s alleged connection with Pakistan’s spy agency ISI. He had claimed that Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.

Sarma also alleged that Gogoi had visited Pakistan on an invitation from its spy agency ISI and undergone training there, and that he worked closely with the establishment of the neighbouring nation.

Hitting back, Gogoi slammed Sarma over his accusation of the MP’s alleged Pakistani links and questioned his mental state due to issues at the home front. He even said the CM’s remarks were “ridiculous, baseless, insane and nonsense” and that he was behaving like an “IT cell troll” without talking with facts.