Assam Political Row Escalates As Himanta Targets Gogoi Over Pakistan Visit, Congress Leader Hits Back

Political tensions in Assam intensified after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma renewed allegations linking Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi to Pakistan, questioning the details of Gogoi’s 2013 visit and suggesting national security concerns. Sarma flagged what he called discrepancies in visa permissions, claiming Gogoi travelled to Takshashila (Taxila) in Rawalpindi district despite his visa allegedly allowing movement only in specific cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. He also highlighted Rawalpindi’s proximity to Pakistan Army headquarters, demanding clarity on who facilitated the visit.

Gogoi strongly denied the allegations, accusing the Chief Minister of reviving a “manufactured controversy” to divert attention from allegations that Sarma’s family holds around 12,000 bighas of land across Assam. He claimed the SIT report cited by Sarma had been suppressed for six months because it failed to substantiate claims of any Pakistan links.

The Congress leader dismissed Sarma’s press conference as a “super flop political drama” and alleged that even journalists were unconvinced by the claims. Gogoi reiterated that his 2013 Pakistan visit was neither secret nor illegal and said his wife travelled there for work-related reasons.

A major flashpoint emerged after Gogoi accused Sarma of dragging his minor children into the controversy, calling it unacceptable and shameful. He said he was exploring legal options over the remarks and urged the police to take suo motu cognisance of what he termed targeted political attacks.

The standoff now centres on competing claims—Sarma pressing national security questions over Gogoi’s past travel, and Gogoi demanding transparency on alleged land holdings of the Chief Minister’s family—further deepening Assam’s political confrontation.