‘C-grade Bollywood movie': Gaurav Gogoi clarifies wife's ‘Pakistan links', Himanta Sarma promises ‘details on Sept 10'

Mint

6 days ago

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday intensified his allegations against Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi, asserting that Gogoi and his wife maintain close ties with Pakistan's establishment. On CM Sarma said, "I have documents to prove his wife's involvement in collecting Indian Intelligence input. I will reveal details on September 10."
To this, in his first public statement on the matter, Gaurav Gogoi clarified that his wife spent only one year in Pakistan in 2013 while working on an international project focused on climate change in South Asia.
Himanta Biswa Sarma accused Congress MP Gogoi and his wife of being 'deeply involved in anti-India activities' and highlighted that Gogoi's son, born in India, later acquired British citizenship after surrendering his Indian passport, calling these 'very serious allegations.'
Assam CM Sarma also claimed that Gaurav Gogoi's visit to Pakistan was facilitated by Pakistan's Home Department, not its External Affairs or Cultural Ministries, framing it as a matter of grave national concern.
Responding to these accusations, Gaurav Gogoi vehemently denied any wrongdoing. At a press conference in New Delhi, he stated, '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 there, including some time in Pakistan, before returning to India around 2012-13. I also remember going with her once around 2013.'
"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," Gogoi said.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi dismissed the BJP leader's claims as 'ridiculous, baseless and nonsense,' describing the controversy as 'a C-grade Bollywood movie' scripted by the BJP.
Gogoi questioned why the Central government had not acted over the past 11 years if there was any misconduct and accused Himanta Sarma of attempting to sow doubt within the Congress leadership.
Gogoi further accused Sarma of a pattern of deception, referencing prior claims such as the allegation that Rahul Gandhi used a 'body double' during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. 'I am the son of Tarun Gogoi. I will not be intimidated. The truth will prevail,' he affirmed, demanding two SITs—one to investigate him and another to probe Sarma himself.
Reacting to Gogoi's remarks, chief minister Himanta Sarma welcomed the Congress MP's 'admission' and claimed that credible evidence supports allegations of Gogoi's ties with the Pakistani establishment.
'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,' Sarma wrote on X.
'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,' he claimed.
In the press conference at the Congress' 24, Akbar Road office, Gogoi raised questions about the timing and intent behind the allegations.
'Our counter-question is this: if, according to these accusations, my wife or I committed any wrongdoing or illegal act, then who has been in power for the last 11–12 years? What have the central agencies been doing all this time? Everyone knows the level of scrutiny involved when someone crosses a national border — whether entering or exiting,' Gogoi said.