Why is Congress Targeting Assam CM Sarma Over Allegations Against Gaurav Gogoi?

New Delhi, May 18 (NationPress) The Congress party expressed strong disapproval on Sunday towards Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his continuous criticisms aimed at Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, regarding supposed connections to Pakistan. This escalating verbal confrontation was fueled by Sarma's latest assertions about Gogoi's visit to Pakistan, which the Deputy LoP dismissed as "nonsense".

In a post on X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh stated: "The personal attacks on my colleague Gaurav Gogoi being continued by the Assam CM are worse than atrocious. Mr. HBS is simply unable to come to grips with the fact that a year back the people of Jorhat voted resoundingly in favour of Gaurav Gogoi and totally rejected the campaign managed by the Assam CM and his colleagues. These attacks are also meant to divert attention away from the Assam CM's own monumental corruption and misdeeds. He knows well that he is the outgoing CM of Assam and hence his increasing desperation."

Earlier, on Sunday, Sarma accused Gogoi of visiting Pakistan at the invitation of the neighboring country's Ministry of Interior.

Sarma asserted on X: "I reiterate, with full authority and responsibility as the Chief Minister of Assam, that Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam, visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Ministry of Interior of the Government of Pakistan. He spent several days there. We are enquiring further into the details surrounding this visit and related associations."

Responding to these claims, Gaurav, the son of the late former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, expressed his concern for Sarma's well-being. "I am worried about the health of the Chief Minister of Assam. For some reason best known to him I have been on his radar since my entry into Assam. He has made many baseless remarks about me in the past 13 years. The most recent one borders on insanity and the absurd. It is often said that when there is something 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 Congress MP wrote on X.

Further criticizing Sarma, Gogoi stated: "The script that the Chief Minister is following is worse than a B grade film. It is said to cover up one lie a person has to say countless lies. That is exactly what the Chief Minister is doing. He is not giving out any facts and simply behaving like an IT cell troll."

"A Chief Minister should not be a troll. If he has any facts supporting his most recent allegation he should put out in public domain. The farce cannot be hidden for too long."

Gogoi challenged Sarma to present factual evidence for his claims, stating: "Ninety-nine percent of what the Chief Minister has been saying is nonsense. He should put out the facts in public domain and stop hiding behind an imaginary September deadline. I doubt if even in September the Chief Minister can put out any concrete facts. I remember how during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Assam he created a fuss about a supposed body double of Rahul Gandhi."

"The Chief Minister can remain insecure with me as he has been for the past 13 years. 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," Gogoi wrote on X.

A few days prior, CM Sarma, during a media interaction in Guwahati, mentioned they are awaiting specific official correspondence to take further action. He claimed Gogoi stayed in Pakistan for 15 days in a personal capacity, initially accompanied by his wife, who returned after seven days.

The CM questioned the purpose of Gogoi's prolonged stay, especially since his wife had returned to India. "What was he doing in Pakistan while his wife was here?" he asked pointedly.

Sarma also alleged that upon returning, Gogoi escorted around 90 students to the Pakistan Embassy, with some reportedly unaware of their destination. He further referenced the Gogoi family's foreign citizenship, claiming all immediate family members are non-Indian citizens, raising questions about national security and political accountability.

Sarma concluded that once official documents are received by September 10, he would share them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Lok Sabha Speaker, acknowledging that subsequent decisions would rely on parliamentary authorities due to jurisdictional limits.