Assam opposition questions why Gaurav Gogoi not arrested if he is a ‘Pak agent’, BJP seeks apology

Opposition parties in Assam on February 8, questioned why Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has not been arrested if he is indeed a Pakistani agent, as alleged by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, asserting that the CM failed to substantiate his claims.

Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi said that if the Chief Minister believes Gogoi to be an agent of Pakistan, it amounts to an allegation of treason. “Pakistani agents mean traitors. If the CM claims to have evidence, why is Gaurav Gogoi not arrested yet?” he asked while speaking to reporters.

Questioning the seriousness of the allegations, Akhil Gogoi said the CM’s press conference on the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report appeared either “a drama or a serious matter”. He also pointed out that people in Assam have been arrested for social media posts and poetry. “If the government can arrest people for such reasons, why not arrest someone it calls a Pakistani agent?” he added.

Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged that Sarma failed to substantiate claims of Gaurav Gogoi’s links with Pakistan’s ISI during the press conference. He accused the Chief Minister of dragging the Assam Police’s SIT into political battles, saying such actions could erode public trust in law enforcement institutions.

“The political use of the police will severely damage its credibility and reduce the force to public ridicule,” Lurinjyoti Gogoi said, warning of long-term consequences for institutional integrity.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that Gaurav Gogoi, his British wife Elizabeth Colburn, and Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh had a “deeper connection”, claiming that sensitive information from the Intelligence Bureau was passed to Pakistan.

Following the press conference, the Assam BJP organised protests across 39 organisational districts of the state. Addressing a demonstration in Dibrugarh, Assam BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia said the allegations should be examined with utmost seriousness and called for a comprehensive probe involving the Government of India.

“Unless Gaurav Gogoi apologises to 140 crore Indians, we will consider him a traitor and anti-national,” Saikia said.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal described the allegations against Gogoi as “highly condemnable” and said he must prove his innocence. “Any individual involved in conspiracies against the nation deserves condemnation,” Sonowal said, adding that the Government of India would not tolerate anti-national activities.

Assam BJP spokesperson Pranjal Kalita said the alleged actions attributed to Gogoi were detrimental to national interests and damaging to public trust, urging him to clarify the defence-related questions he raised in Parliament.