Congress Questions Assam CM Over Alleged Morphed Photo of MP Gaurav Gogoi

The Assam Pradesh Congress has strongly countered Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations against MP Gaurav Gogoi, asserting that the image shared by the CM on social media, purportedly showing Gogoi with the Pakistani High Commissioner, has been morphed.

Addressing the media, senior Congress spokesperson Rituparno Konwar demanded that the Chief Minister first clarify the source of the image before questioning Gogoi. "The Chief Minister must reveal where he obtained the image and whether it was altered before being circulated on social media," Konwar stated.

Congress Presents Evidence Against Allegations

The Congress has presented two key pieces of evidence to refute the CM’s claims:

1. Original Event & Published Reports:

   • Gaurav Gogoi attended a Youth Forum on Foreign Policy (YFFP) event on September 9, 2015, in New Delhi, where he interacted with the Pakistani High Commissioner along with a group of students.
   • This event was covered by national newspaper The Hindu, which published a photograph under image ID 166416353.
   • The original image features a banner in the background reading: "PAKISTAN HIGH COMMISSION, LECTURE SERIES, NEW DELHI."

2. YFFP’s Official Social Media Post:

   • The official Facebook page of YFFP uploaded the same event photographs on September 10, 2015.
   • These images also clearly display the "LECTURE SERIES" text in the background banner.

However, the image shared by CM Sarma on social media is missing the words "LECTURE SERIES" from the banner, raising suspicions of digital manipulation.

Congress Demands Accountability

Calling the Chief Minister’s actions a "deliberate and well-planned conspiracy" to tarnish MP Gogoi’s reputation, the Congress has hinted at possible legal action. "If no one tampered with the image, how did an entire line of text disappear?" asked Konwar, urging the CM to clarify whether he was misled into spreading misinformation or was part of a larger strategy to target opposition leaders.

"Before questioning others, the CM must explain where he got the image from," Konwar added, further challenging the authenticity of the allegations.

The political controversy continues to escalate, with the Congress accusing the BJP government of resorting to digital manipulation to malign opponents. The ball is now in Chief Minister Sarma’s court to respond to these serious allegations.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi taking to his official 'X' handle said, "The BJP has gone to extreme steps to defame me and my family. Their allegations are malicious and baseless. I will be taking the appropriate legal action."

Also Read: 'Met Pak Officials After His Marriage': Assam CM Ramps Up Attack on Gaurav Gogoi