Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi ignited a political firestorm on Tuesday with a powerful address in Parliament, sharply questioning the Modi government’s handling of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. Gogoi demanded transparency over the number of Indian fighter jets allegedly downed by Pakistan, pressing the Centre on military accountability.
By Wednesday, the fallout had taken a personal and controversial turn. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma threatened to escalate an ongoing state investigation—focused on alleged connections between Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, and a Pakistan-based NGO—to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Sarma claimed the state SIT had uncovered enough to warrant a deeper, federal-level probe.
Sarma’s remarks came shortly after incendiary comments in Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP MP Dilip Saikia. Shah accused Gogoi of prior visits to Pakistan, while Saikia suggested Gogoi’s wife was “on the payroll” of a hostile foreign nation. Their remarks followed reports in Pakistani media which cited Saikia’s Parliament speech to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi—adding fuel to the already charged situation.
In response, Gogoi delivered a scathing rebuttal:
“I went to Pakistan before Modiji went to eat biryani there. I don’t know why he [Amit Shah] brought it up.”
“Today was the time for this government to admit its failures, but instead Amit Shah ji tried to deflect with nationalism, hiding behind the bravery of the Indian armed forces.”
Shah, in turn, retorted by questioning Gogoi’s patriotism, asking:
“You’ve been to Pakistan many times, Gogoi… ever been to the border?”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma quickly took the fight online. In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Sarma accused Gogoi of “acting on behalf of Pakistani interests.” He went further, dragging the Congress leader’s children into the fray:
“With his wife and both children holding foreign citizenship, he can leave India at any time.”
Sarma, once a close confidant of Gogoi’s late father and former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi, previously set a September 10 deadline to expose “damning evidence” against Elizabeth Gogoi, alleging she collected sensitive national security information.
Earlier in May, Gaurav Gogoi had strongly denied these charges, calling them a “pack of lies” and accusing the Assam CM of political vendetta. He acknowledged a visit to Pakistan—but clarified it occurred 15 years ago, well before he entered politics.
As the political clash deepens, the focus shifts from questions of national security and military transparency to personal allegations and potential NIA intervention. The controversy underscores rising tensions between the BJP and Congress in the lead-up to the next electoral season—where national security, foreign ties, and personal integrity are likely to take center stage.
