Guwahati, Feb 13 (NationPress) During his visit to Majuli, Gaurav Gogoi, the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and MP from Jorhat, refrained from addressing the criticisms made by the family of Kargil war hero Captain Jintu Gogoi regarding his supposed connections to Pakistan. Instead, he emphasized the necessity of focusing on issues such as flood management, erosion control, and ethnic status.

This comes in the wake of a political storm ignited by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who mentioned that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report concerning Gogoi's alleged ties to Pakistan would be revised and forwarded to the Centre for deeper investigation.

When questioned by journalists, Gogoi opted not to engage with the statements from the martyr’s parents, who expressed their distress over his past visits to Pakistan. “They are a martyr’s family. Whatever they say, I do not want to comment on that. I have deep respect for them,” he stated, recalling his multiple visits to the family during his term as a Lok Sabha MP. Captain Jintu Gogoi made the ultimate sacrifice during the Kargil War.

Thogiran Gogoi, the hero's father, previously noted that visits to a nation viewed as hostile are particularly painful for families who have given their children for the country, asserting that anyone plotting against India should be labeled a traitor.

As political tensions rise, Gogoi stressed the need for governance priorities, especially regarding flood and erosion relief, which persistently trouble Majuli and other riverine regions of Assam.

He assured that should Congress secure the next government, they would request the Prime Minister to allocate funds for flood and erosion management projects.

Moreover, he reaffirmed the party’s dedication to obtaining Scheduled Tribe status for six significant ethnic communities in Assam, emphasizing that the Centre holds the power to actualize this decision.

“We will collaborate with the Prime Minister on state-related issues,” he emphasized, reminiscing about how, during his father Tarun Gogoi’s chief ministership, collaborations with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government benefitted Assam greatly.

Addressing the Prime Minister’s recent visit to the state, Gogoi remarked that the Assembly elections focus on electing the next state government and Chief Minister rather than the Prime Minister.

With elections nearing, the SIT report controversy intensifies the campaign, while flood management and ethnic status remain crucial voter priorities.