Mood of Assam: 39 per cent Hindus believe Gaurav Gogoi has Pakistan links, 69 per cent of Muslims disagree

According to the latest India Today–CVoter Mood of the Nation (MOTN) survey, conducted on February 13 and 14, 2026, a majority of Assam voters do not believe the allegation made by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi is a “Pakistani agent".

In response to the question, “Do you believe Gaurav Gogoi is a Pakistani agent as claimed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma?”, 55  per cent of all respondents said 'No', compared with 30 per cent who said 'Yes'. Among religious groups, 69 per cent of Muslim voters rejected the allegation, while 49 per cent of Hindu respondents said the claim was not credible. Only 13 per cent of Muslims and 39 per cent of Hindus said they believed the charge. A further 15  per cent overall said they did not know or declined to answer.

The survey also asked whether voters were convinced by Gaurav Gogoi’s defence against the chief minister’s allegation. Responses showed a similar pattern of scepticism about the accusation: 38  per cent of respondents said they were convinced by Gogoi’s rebuttal, while 40 per cent were not convinced and 22 per cent were unsure. Among Hindus, 52 per cent were not persuaded by Gogoi’s defence, whereas 53 per cent of Muslim respondents said they found his rebuttal convincing.

Political analysts say the data reflects a deeply polarised electorate in Assam, where tensions over identity, security and national narrative have become central in the run-up to the 2026 Assembly elections. The allegations of “Pakistani links” against Gaurav Gogoi has been doing the rounds lately. The Assam Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday, February 7, decided to hand over the investigation into Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), underscoring what the state government described as serious national security concerns behind the probe.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the decision followed detailed discussions in the Cabinet after the findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted to probe the case involving Ali Tauqeer, were placed before the ministers. Addressing a press conference today, Sarma clarified that the investigation was being pursued strictly from the standpoint of national security, with political considerations being secondary.

Sarma said the state government had earlier constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. During the course of its inquiry, the SIT collected sensitive information and materials from multiple sources. However, the team concluded that beyond a certain point, it would not be feasible for a state-level agency to continue the investigation without international cooperation, including assistance from Interpol and access to classified information held by the Government of India and Parliament.

“In view of these limitations, the Cabinet has decided to proceed strictly in accordance with the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the Chief Minister said. He added that the MHA would determine which central agency would take over the case, after which the Assam government would formally transfer the investigation.