“If I’m wrong, I'll quit as CM, will not even go to my house": Assam CM on Gaurav Gogoi's ISI links

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 18 launched a scathing attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, alleging connections with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and questioning his line of parliamentary inquiries regarding national security.

Addressing a public gathering, the Chief Minister claimed that Gogoi had traveled to Pakistan at the invitation of the country’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). “If this is not espionage, then what is?” Sarma questioned, suggesting that the MP’s actions were inconsistent with national interest.

Sarma further alleged that Gogoi raised sensitive questions in Parliament regarding India's nuclear weapon locations and coastal security frameworks, insinuating that these questions may have originated from intelligence gathered during overseas exposure. “You ask where India's nuclear weapons are stored. Who wrote these questions for you? Did you learn them during a training programme?” he asked rhetorically.

Sarma declared: “If I have said even one thing wrong, I will not remain the Chief Minister. I will not even go to my house.”

The ongoing war of words between Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took a dramatic turn on Sunday, May 18 as both leaders exchanged sharp attacks over social media regarding allegations of foreign ties and questions over national loyalty.

The row, which has been brewing for weeks, erupted again when CM Sarma publicly alleged that Gaurav Gogoi had visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)—a claim he said he was revealing for the first time. Sarma also stated that the trip was not part of any diplomatic or cultural exchange but was facilitated directly by Pakistan’s Home Department, suggesting potential security implications.

“He went there to receive training,” the Chief Minister claimed, asserting that the matter is not under the purview of India’s Ministry of External Affairs but is rather a case of serious concern linked to national security. Sarma added that his government possesses documentary evidence and that further action may be taken based on investigative outcomes.

In a separate allegation, Sarma claimed that Gogoi’s spouse had received payments over two years from a Pakistan-based NGO allegedly connected to ISI operations. While Gogoi has not denied visiting Pakistan, clarity on the purpose and nature of the trip remains elusive. The Congress party has not yet issued an official statement in response.

Hitting back with a string of posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Gaurav Gogoi slammed CM Sarma, accusing him of being obsessed and insecure. "I am worried about the health of the Chief Minister of Assam," Gogoi wrote, calling the allegations “absurd” and “bordering on insanity.”

"For some reason best known to him, I have been on his radar since my entry into Assam. He has made many baseless remarks about me over the last 13 years," Gogoi stated, adding, “The script that the Chief Minister is following is worse than a B-grade film.”

Gogoi went on to accuse Sarma of acting like an “IT cell troll” and said the Chief Minister was recycling lies without producing any concrete facts. “A Chief Minister should not behave like a troll. If he has proof, he should place it in the public domain,” he urged.

He also brought up past incidents, including the "body double" controversy during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, accusing Sarma of trying to divert public attention from real issues. “For the Congress, our focus remains on Assam’s economic distress and the thriving coal-drug mafia under political protection,” Gogoi asserted.

The escalating spat has added another layer of political drama in Assam ahead of 2026, with Gogoi warning, “We will ensure that after 2026, he (Sarma) gets to have some rest.”