CM Sarma, Jairam Ramesh Spar Over Gaurav Gogoi’s Wife’s Alleged Pak Links

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh engaged in a heated exchange on social media platform X on Sunday over allegations that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife have links with Pakistan. The controversy has sparked a political firestorm, with the Assam government announcing the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations and initiating legal action against Gogoi.

CM Sarma Hits Back at Congress, Challenges Legal Action

In a sharp rebuttal to Jairam Ramesh, CM Sarma took to X, asserting that the people of Assam—not Congress leaders—will decide the state's leadership.

“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 nation,” Sarma stated.

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

The Chief Minister also encouraged Gaurav Gogoi to pursue legal action, affirming that the Assam government would reciprocate.

“I wholeheartedly welcome legal action against me. The government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings from today,” he declared.

State Government to Form SIT, File FIR Against Gogoi

As the controversy deepened, CM Sarma convened a Cabinet meeting on Sunday, where it was decided that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be formed to probe Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Gogoi’s alleged links to Pakistan. Additionally, the Assam government is set to lodge an FIR against the Congress MP, further escalating the legal battle.

Congress Terms Allegations as Political Vendetta

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh swiftly retaliated, accusing CM Sarma and the BJP of orchestrating a “smear campaign” against Gaurav Gogoi.

“The Assam CM and the BJP have begun an atrocious smear campaign targeting my colleague @GauravGogoiAsm. This is character assassination of the worst type. Legal action is being initiated right away,” Ramesh wrote on X.

The Assam CM and the BJP have begun an atrocious smear campaign targeting my colleague @GauravGogoiAsm. This is character assassination of the worst type. Legal action is being initiated right away.

The smear campaign is because Gaurav Gogoi won the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in June…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 16, 2025

He linked the allegations to Gogoi’s recent electoral victory in Jorhat, where he defeated the BJP despite the Assam CM and several ministers aggressively campaigning against him.

“The smear campaign is because Gaurav Gogoi won the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in June 2024 despite the Assam CM and other ministers camping in Jorhat and campaigning against him,” Ramesh alleged.

He further claimed that Gogoi had been at the forefront of exposing corruption within the Assam government, making him a target for political attacks.

“The Assam CM—like his Supreme Leader in New Delhi—is a master of defamation, distortion, and diversion. He is trying desperately to get the minds of the people of Assam away from his failures and false claims. But in about twelve months, the people of Assam will make him a former CM and make his party sit in the opposition,” Ramesh added.

CM Sarma has doubled down on his allegations, claiming that Elizabeth Colbourn, a British national and wife of Gaurav Gogoi, has deep associations with entities linked to Pakistani intelligence agencies. He pointed out that despite being married to an Indian national for 12 years, she has retained her UK citizenship—a move he suggested raises national security concerns.

“Elizabeth, despite her marriage to Gaurav Gogoi, retained her UK citizenship for 12 years and worked closely with individuals linked to Pakistan’s ISI,” Sarma claimed in a series of posts on X.

He questioned why Elizabeth had not acquired Indian citizenship after over a decade of marriage and implied that this warranted an investigation into potential security threats.

Gaurav Gogoi Dismisses Allegations as ‘Laughable’

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has vehemently rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated ahead of Assam’s 2026 elections. He dismissed the claim that his wife had ties to Pakistan’s ISI as “laughable.”

“These claims are nothing but a desperate attempt to divert attention from the government’s failures,” Gogoi asserted.