‘My wife is visiting Pakistan for work-related purposes’: Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Sarma’s allegations India News

New Delhi: Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Monday dismissed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa SarmaAlleging that he had links to Pakistan, he said the SIT report was shelved by the chief minister for six months as there was no evidence. Gogoi told a news conference in Guwahati that his wife, Elizabeth Colburn, had visited Pakistan for work in 2013 and accompanied him on the 10-day trip and that he had never been questioned about it.“He was so low down that he disclosed information about my child. We also know about his child; everyone knows it but we don’t want to disclose it. He has proven that he is not the right person to be chief minister.” Their remarks bring shame to Assam. Why are they spreading false information? This should be taken up by the Supreme Court,” the Congress leader said, adding that he would seek legal action against Sarma for his remarks against his children.Gogoi demanded the release of the SIT report to prove his innocence. “Right from the beginning, I have always said that I will not oppose the SIT probe. I want the SIT report to be released. The CM is not Chanakya.”Talking about the timing of Sarma’s press conference, Gogoi said, “The main fact behind yesterday’s lengthy press conference is the rising support of the Congress party… If this is a matter of national security, why has he been doing nothing for the past six months?… The Congress was forced to hold a press conference after the Congress revealed that 12,000 Bihas land was held by his family.”Gogoi further accused Sarma of “inciting genocide against Muslims” through his social media videos.ALSO READ | Pakistani company hired Gogoi’s wife, salary paid by Ali Sheikh: Himanta makes big allegations against MPCM Sarma on Sunday leveled allegations against Gogoi that his British wife Elizabeth Colburn had “deeper links” with Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and claimed that intelligence agency information had been secretly passed on to Pakistan. He also claimed that Gogoi made a “very secret” visit to Pakistan in 2013 and was believed to have received “some kind of training” in which the Congress leader dared to confess during the trip or face “rashtra-droh” (treason) charges.Sarma further claimed that Colburn worked with the LEAD Pakistan organization run by Sheikh before being transferred to India and continued to receive a salary from Sheikh, allegedly in violation of the provisions of the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA). He said she gathered information and provided reports to Sheikh after working in India and that Gogoi failed to declare her Pakistani bank accounts in his election affidavit.