"Vicious...": Congress’ Legal Action Threat Against Himanta’s Comments On Gaurav Gogoi’s Wife
The Congress has announced plans to take legal action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his remarks targeting party MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife, Elizabeth Colburn. The controversy erupted after Mr Sarma alleged that Ms Colburn, a British citizen, had links to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies, a claim that Mr Gogoi dismissed as “laughable and entertaining.”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh condemned the Assam CM’s remarks, calling them a “vicious smear campaign” against Mr Gogoi. He accused the BJP of engaging in character assassination, stating that legal proceedings were being initiated immediately. Mr Ramesh asserted that the attacks stemmed from Mr Gogoi’s victory in the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in June 2024, despite aggressive campaigning by Mr Sarma and other BJP leaders against him. He also noted that Mr Gogoi had been at the forefront in exposing alleged corruption involving the Assam CM.
In response, Mr Sarma welcomed legal action, stating, “I wholeheartedly welcome legal action against me. In fact, the Government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings from today.” He added that the people of Assam, not Congress, would decide who remains in power.
The Assam CM intensified his allegations against Mr Gogoi’s wife, claiming that she had connections with Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, an advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission. He alleged that Ms Colburn had worked under Sheikh in an organisation called LEAD Pakistan, which focused on climate change initiatives. Mr Sarma further claimed that the network was “far more significant and deeply entrenched than initially thought.”
Mr Sarma shared old social media posts by Sheikh, in which he had supported Mr Gogoi and others for raising the Delhi riots issue in Parliament. The BJP alleged that Ms Colburn’s refusal to take Indian citizenship for 12 years and Mr Gogoi’s parliamentary interventions on sensitive defence matters after marrying a British citizen were causes for concern.
Mr Gogoi, however, dismissed the allegations, calling them an attempt to distract from the failures of the BJP government. “If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, I am a RAW agent of India,” he quipped. He further accused Mr Sarma of making baseless claims to divert attention from his own alleged wrongdoings.
He added, “Today, BJP has no real issues to talk about. They are relying on spreading lies. The people of India are intelligent enough to see the difference between truth and propaganda.”
The war of words has escalated tensions between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with both sides launching legal action against each other. The developments come as Assam heads towards elections, making the political battlefield even more charged.
Who will be the former and present Chief Minister will be decided by the people of Assam—not by you. I do not wish to remind you of the humiliating defeat Congress has faced since 2014. However, as long as we hold office, we are bound by our oath to protect the security of the… https://t.co/8vxJ0DY9QZ
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 16, 2025
