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Time of India

Ripun Bora questioned over Gaurav's ‘Pak links'

1 2 Guwahati: Senior Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora was interrogated by the Assam police for about four hours on Thursday in connection with a case related to party colleague and newly appointed state president Gaurav Gogoi's alleged links with Pakistan. After the interrogation, Bora told the media that he was questioned by the police regarding his statement during a press conference on Sunday, where he 'defended' Gaurav over the Pakistan-link allegation against him. "The investigating officer asked me why I defended Gaurav over the allegation of visiting Pakistan. They sought what information I have regarding that. I cooperated with the investigating officer and answered all the queries," he said, while refusing to comment further on the interrogation. Chief Minister's Special Vigilance Cell SP Rosie Kalita told the media that Bora informed the investigating officer he needed to say a few things in his press conference on Sunday for damage control of the party. "He said he had to give a political statement in his press conference regarding the SIT's credibility. He said he should not have spoken in that way. He said he appeared before the SIT, accepting the credibility of the SIT. He cooperated, but he could not give the information we sought," she added. The SP said Bora was allowed to go after he told the SIT he has a meeting in Delhi. "He has been given time to submit the information. He will be summoned again soon," she added. MP Gaurav Gogoi was appointed as the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday. He succeeded Bhupen Kumar Borah. After receiving a summons notice to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Wednesday, Bora, in a post on his X handle, wrote: "I am shocked and surprised to receive a notice from the CID because I countered the false allegations of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan links. This is an attempt to harass me, intimidate me, and suppress my voice!" On Sunday, Bora, in a press conference, claimed that Sarma was trying to portray Gogoi as an ISI agent only because the BJP leader knows that the present govt will decisively lose the assembly elections next year if Gaurav is made the CM candidate of the opposition party. "Gaurav's wife might have visited Pakistan or got a salary for her work from Pakistan, what's the problem in that? Likewise, many Pakistani people are working in India legally," he said. Following this, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that Bora made a "startling confession" that his party MP Gogoi's wife was on the "payroll of the Pakistan govt". Earlier, Sarma alleged that Gaurav visited Pakistan on the invitation of ISI, underwent training there, and worked closely with the establishment of the neighbouring nation. Hitting back hard, Gogoi slammed Sarma over his accusation of the MP having alleged Pakistani links and questioned his mental state.