Himanta drops bombshell: Gaurav Gogoi’s Pakistan visit “just the beginning” of deeper ties

Congress president Gaurav Gogoi's admission of visiting that country "is just the beginning" of something "far more serious", Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on May 28. He claimed the presence of credible inputs suggesting Gogoi's "proximity" with the Pakistani establishment.

Debunking claims that he had alleged links with the Pakistani establishment, Gogoi told a press conference in New Delhi that he had gone to Pakistan only once, 12 years ago.

"Finally, Congress MP Shri Gaurav Gogoi has admitted that he visited Pakistan. But let us be very clear -- this is just the beginning, not the end. What lies ahead is far more serious. There exists every reasonable ground, supported by credible inputs and documented information, to suggest that Shri Gogoi has maintained proximity with the Pakistani establishment," Sarma posted on X.

He said the Assam government is committed to transparency and accountability and will make everything public on September 10, once the Special Investigation Team (SIT) concludes its comprehensive inquiry.

"The people of Assam and the nation deserve the truth -- and they shall have it, in full. But the people will also not forget -- nor forgive -- the Congress party and Shri Rahul Gandhi for deliberately promoting such a dangerous and compromised individual into the public life of our country," Sarma said, referring to Gogoi's elevation as the president of the state Congress.

In the press conference at the Congress' 24, Akbar Road office, Gogoi asked why the BJP government at the Centre had not acted for the last 11 years if there was any wrongdoing and claimed that Sarma was making these allegations with the intention of creating doubts in the minds of the Congress leadership about his credentials, but that had been decimated.

"Allegations are made and I would like to clarify that people of the state are not misled. About 14-15 years ago, my wife, who is a well-known expert in public policy, worked on an international project in South Asia focused on climate change. She spent one year in Pakistan before returning to India around 2012-13," he said.

"Since then, she has continued her work and took a new job in 2015. I also remember going with her once in 2013. Their (the BJP's) job is defamation and by raking this issue they are creating this whole thing like a C-grade Bollywood movie which they have said would be released on September 10. But that is going to be a flop miserably," he said.