Gogoi-Himanta face-off continues over Congress MP's Pakistan visit

Guwahati/New Delhi: Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi Monday said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has become nervous after the parliametarian's presser a day ago to counter the allegation of his Pakistan visit on an invitation of ISI.

Reacting to Gogoi, Sarma maintained that the MP has been evading directly responding to claims on his Pakistan links and urged him to clarify his stance.

Addressing the second press conference in a row on the topic in two days, Gogoi also dared Sarma to make public all the proofs of his alleged Pakistani links immediately instead of waiting till September 10, the deadline set by the CM.

"After watching my press meet yesterday, it seems CM Himanta Biswa Sarma got nervous. He immediately said he would resign from the CM's post and not go to his home if he had uttered a single lie. Why he said so, only he would know," the Congress leader said in New Delhi.

Sarma on Sunday alleged that Gogoi had visited Pakistan on an invitation from its spy agency ISI, and that he worked closely with the establishment of the neighbouring nation.

Hitting back, Gogoi questioned his mental state due to issues at the home front.

He even claimed the CM's remarks were "insane and nonsense" and that he was behaving like an "IT cell troll" without talking with facts.

"You need to tell a thousand lies to hide one lie. That's the condition of our CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. He is trying to hide the lie spoken in February by stating newer lies and allegations every day," the Lok Sabha MP claimed on Monday.

The Congress leader said Sarma's proposal to resign is nothing new and "nobody takes him seriously" as he had said the same thing on various occasions earlier.

"Why do you need to wait till September with the kind of allegations levelled against me? He is not willing to close the SIT so soon, but is trying to drag it till September. And then also, nothing will come up," Gogoi said.

Sarma has been making allegations against Gogoi over his alleged Pakistan links through his British wife Elizabeth Colburn.

The Assam government has also formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probing into the alleged interference of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Colburn, in India's internal affairs.

"Because you (Sarma) need to escape from this now, you suggested resigning. Nobody is asking for your resignation, just give the proof. People are asking for proof of your statement," Gogoi said.

Sarma on Sunday asserted that the government has documentary evidence to support the claim, and every proof will be presented to the public by September 10 after proper verification.

"If I have stated a single lie, I will resign. If I have uttered a single false word, I will not be in politics ever. I can even tell that I will not even enter my house if I have told a single lie. Should I say anything more? A CM never says casual things," Sarma had said.

Hours after Gogoi's second press meet on Monday, the CM dismissed the opposition leader’s allegation that he has a history of lying, asserting that as the chief minister, he would never take recourse to telling lies.

"I had asked about a few points. Did he go to Pakistan or not? Why should he wait to reply before the SIT, he can reply before the media. I had asked about the citizenship of his children and if his wife draws a salary from Pakistan. Why wait for the SIT questioning? He can reply before the media," he added.

"Let him clarify his stance and finish it off... He calls press conferences but evades a direct response," the CM said.

On Gogoi's allegation that Sarma has a history of lying or going back on his words, the BJP leader said, "Himanta Biswa Sarma can tell a thousand lies. But the chief minister of Assam cannot lie. Else there will be a resolution against me in the Assembly, the court can even summon me." Sarma had earlier alleged that Gogoi's wife had travelled 19 times between India and Pakistan.

In the FIR against Sheikh, an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, was charged under UAPA.

In Monday's press meet in New Delhi, Gogoi said, "All his (Sarma's) statements yesterday were strange. He had made such statements earlier also. During Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, he spoke of Congress using a body double of Rahul Gandhi. He had even said Bagh Hazarika is an imaginary character. People of Assam have not forgotten that," Gogoi said.

Ismail Siddique, popularly known as Bagh Hazarika, was a 17th-century Ahom warrior who fought with Ahom general Lachit Borphukan against the Mughals. He was born in an Assamese Muslim family at Dhekerigaon village near Garhgaon in Sivasagar district.

Gogoi said, "Were there no Indian officials at the border? I went there without informing the Indian government, took training, returned and then I am sitting inside Parliament. Who is he trying to fool and insult? Is he not insulting the conscience of the people of Assam and India? He has polluted the entire atmosphere."