Guwahati, May 18: In a dramatic escalation of political tensions in Assam, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 18 alleged that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), claiming his government possesses documentary evidence to back the charge.
“For the first time, I want to say that Gaurav Gogoi went to Pakistan at the invitation of the ISI,” Sarma stated, asserting that the visit was neither part of a cultural nor diplomatic program but allegedly organized by Pakistan’s Home Department. “He went there to receive training,” Sarma added, implying a serious breach of national security.
The Chief Minister emphasized the gravity of the matter, stating that action would follow based on the findings and documents in hand. He also alleged that Gogoi has refrained from publicly criticizing Pakistan and that his spouse had received payments from a Pakistan-based NGO allegedly linked to the ISI.
The Congress party has not issued an official response yet, but Gogoi himself fired back in a scathing attack on the Chief Minister, accusing him of peddling lies, shielding mafias, and harbouring unhealthy obsession with him for over a decade.
“The Chief Minister can remain insecure with me as he has been for the past 13 years,” Gogoi wrote on X. “For the Congress party, we will focus on the dire economic situation of the state and the coal-drug mafia being run under political protection.”
Dismissing Sarma’s remarks as “99% nonsense,” Gogoi challenged him to release concrete facts instead of hiding behind what he called “an imaginary September deadline.” He cited past allegations, including Sarma’s claim during the Bharat Jodo Yatra that Rahul Gandhi used a body double, as examples of the Chief Minister’s credibility issues.
“The script that the Chief Minister is following is worse than a B-grade film,” Gogoi said. “He is not giving out any facts and is simply behaving like an IT cell troll. A Chief Minister should not be a troll.”
Gogoi also raised concerns about Sarma’s mental well-being. “I am worried about the health of the Chief Minister. For some reason best known to him, I have been on his radar since I entered Assam. The most recent claim borders on insanity and the absurd.”
He concluded with a parting shot: “It is often said that when something is bothering at home, it reflects in the mental state of the person. We will ensure that after 2026, he gets to have some rest.”
The bitter exchange signals a deepening rift between Assam’s ruling and opposition camps as the state looks ahead to the 2026 Assembly elections.
