Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has strongly refuted allegations levelled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that his wife has links with Pakistan and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), dismissing them as "laughable and entertaining."
Gogoi, who serves as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, accused the BJP of resorting to baseless accusations in a bid to divert attention from its failures.
He recalled a similar "smear campaign" against him and his family ahead of last year’s Lok Sabha elections, which, he noted, the electorate rejected by electing him from the Jorhat parliamentary constituency.
The controversy erupted following remarks by BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, who asserted, "Some serious concerning facts related to national security have come to light. Links of Elizabeth Colburn, the wife of Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, with Pakistan Planning Commission Advisor Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and the ISI, have come to light."
Terming it an issue of grave concern, Bhatia demanded clarification from the Congress leadership, stating, "It is expected that Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge ji and Gaurav Gogoi will render a clarification about their relations with Pakistan and the ISI."
Bhatia further alleged that Gogoi’s wife, a foreign national, is associated with an organisation receiving funding from billionaire investor George Soros.
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He questioned whether the Congress leader should continue as Deputy Leader of the Opposition, given his access to "sensitive information relating to security issues."
"A few days ago, when Rahul Gandhi said that his fight was against the Indian state, the question is whether Gaurav Gogoi and Elizabeth are working with Pakistan and the ISI to carry forward Rahul Gandhi’s plan to weaken India," Bhatia remarked.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also waded into the row, posting on X, "Serious questions need to be answered regarding allegations of ISI links, leading young individuals to the Pakistan embassy for brainwashing and radicalisation, and the refusal to take Indian citizenship for the past 12 years."
Sarma further alleged involvement in a "conversion cartel" and accused Gogoi’s family of receiving external funding, including from George Soros, "to destabilise national security."
"At some point, accountability will be necessary. Simply deflecting responsibility or attempting to shift the focus onto others will not serve as an easy escape route. The nation deserves transparency and truth," he stated.
In a sharp rejoinder, Gogoi hit back at the BJP, asserting that the ruling party was resorting to "baseless allegations" due to a lack of substantive issues to address.
"The BJP has no issue and resorts to these baseless allegations. It conducted the same smear campaign against me and my family before the Lok Sabha polls last year, and the people of Jorhat parliamentary constituency replied (to it) by electing me," he said.
Responding specifically to Sarma’s remarks, Gogoi alleged that multiple land scams involving the Assam Chief Minister’s family had been reported to BJP leaders in Delhi.
"Fearing that he might lose his chair, he is trying to divert attention by launching a smear campaign against me and my family," the Congress leader said.
"The assembly election is still a year away, but it seems that the BJP is on shaky ground, with people losing faith in the party, due to which it has launched this attack on me," he added.
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