'Why didn't SIT question me & why did Himanta go to Bangladesh': Gaurav Gogoi hits back at Assam CM

Guwahati: A day after Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that the state Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi and his British wife Elizabeth Colburn had links with Pakistan, the latter on Monday called the charges false, baseless and bogus and asked why he was not questions by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

In a long press conference, Gogoi, a Lok Sabha member from Jorhat in Assam, replied to Sarma's questions and the allegations made by the SIT, one-by-one and stated that same was part of tactics for the Assembly elections slated in March-April.

"Why did not the SIT feel it deem to question me if my activities were a threat to national security. After the SIT was formed, I publicly announced that I am even ready to go to their office to answer to their questions. If the SIT report revealed something which was against national security, why the CM sat on it for six months? He was supposed to disclose it on September 10 last year. The CM now says he delayed it due to singer Zubeen Garg's death. But Garg died on September 19. Both the SIT and Sarma got no proof related to the allegations," Gaurav said.

10-days in Pakistan

Replying to Sarma's question on what he had done during his 10-day visit to Pakistan in 2013, Gogoi said he had gone there to see the places where his wife had worked in Lead Pakistan, an NGO for about a year. "I wanted to see how a girl from England spend a year in a country like Pakistan, where she stayed, where did she go for shopping etc." On why he had decided to go out of Islamabad and visited Lahore and Karachi, Gaurav said, "Later i wanted to see the Takshashila, an archeological wanders. Accordingly, I applied for visa to visit the Takshashila and I was granted the same." As per the India-Pakistan visa regime in 2012, only city specific visas were granted.

Gaurav also rejected the charges in the SIT report that the visa regime norms were deviated while granting him permission. "After becoming an MP, i deposited my passport to the government as an MP is given a diplomatic visa. Where I had gone in Pakistan, all those details are there in the passport which was deposited."

Gaurav also rejected Sarma's allegations that Elizabeth still had a bank account in Pakistan. "Its a lie. She closed the bank account after she shifted to India. CM also claimed that my wife was paid salary from Pakistan for one year. Its also not true. She was paid salary for one month during the shifting." Gaurav said Lead Pakistan and Lead India were funded by Climate Development Knowledge Network (CKDN, an international organisation working on the issue of climate change. "The CKDN had worked in Gujarat when Narendra Modi was the CM."

On the allegation that Elizabeth had shared a "secret report" based on IB reports, Gogoi said her report was based on media reports only, which were already in public domain.

Parliament questions:

On Sarma's question why he had asked sensitive questions on India's boder and defence in the Parliament months after his Pakistan visit, Gaurav said, "Can't an MP from Assam ask questions of national importance? If my questions were contrary to national security, Lok Sabha secretariat would not have allowed the same. If my questions were against national security, why the government answered? Similar questions were asked by an NCP MP, who later joined BJP."

Questions Himanta:

Gaurav, who is the face of the Congress-led opposition alliance for the Assembly elections, alleged that Himanta was making the false allegations as Congress revealed how he got 4,000 acres (12,000 bighas) of land in his family names, ministers running cattle syndictes, and failed in other areas of development in the state.

"He wants to divert people's attention by attacking me. But I am not scared. The wind is blowing in Congress favour and people will dislodge him from power."

Gaurav also showed a photograph in which Himanta was purportedly seen in front of a majar in Bangladesh. "Today, I also want to ask Sarma, why he visited Bangladesh 10 times?"