Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed that a state-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged Pakistani links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had uncovered “startling facts” suggesting a conspiracy to undermine India’s sovereignty.
The SIT, headed by Special DGP (CID) Munna Prasad Gupta, handed its report to the chief minister at his Guwahati office earlier in the day. The investigation, Sarma asserted, had gone beyond individual allegations and pointed towards “larger nefarious activities” involving Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.
“The investigation also sheds light on how the Ministry of Interior, Govt of Pakistan, facilitated the visit of an MP from Assam to their country,” Sarma told reporters. He alleged that the report established the role of “a British national who is also married to an Indian Member of Parliament” in the affair.
According to the chief minister, the report would be studied in detail before the findings were placed before the state cabinet. “During the course of this exhaustive investigation, the SIT has unearthed startling facts which point towards a larger conspiracy aimed at undermining the sovereignty of our nation,” he said. “The Assam Government will now examine the report of the SIT in detail and place it before the State Cabinet. Once the matter is discussed in the Cabinet, the information gathered during the enquiry will be made public.”
Also read: CM Sarma vs Gaurav Gogoi: War of words over Pakistan trip
Earlier in Golaghat district, where he reviewed preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to Numaligarh Refinery, Sarma insisted he would not be rushed into publicising the findings. “I will receive the report after returning to Guwahati. I will go through the report. After that, the government will inform the people about the report and the future course of action. This is a serious inquiry and is related to the nation's security,” he said.
He added pointedly: “I am not here for a film performance... that I will call a press conference immediately after the report is submitted and make an announcement on its content... the media is expecting this, but the government does not function in that manner. I have to read the report, and only then can I say the action that needs to be taken.”
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi dismissed the claims as political theatre, accusing the chief minister of manufacturing stories to divert attention from his government’s failures. “As I had said earlier, the CM's claims that it is like a C-Grade film have flopped at the box office, and it is for this reason he has sought more time to read the report,” Gogoi remarked. He added, “The people of Assam are aware of the truth and will give a befitting reply at an appropriate time.”
The SIT was constituted in February this year after Sarma repeatedly alleged Gogoi’s links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. The findings, now in the hands of the state government, await cabinet scrutiny before being made public.
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