Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he is not on a “witch hunt” over the controversy surrounding Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn’s alleged links with the ISI.

Reacting to a post on X by another Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Sarma on Tuesday said he is driven by national security, which cannot be compromised.

Also Read | Assam govt planning to move court against Gaurav Gogoi’s wife’s ‘links’ with Pakistan: CM Himanta

“You will be shocked in the coming months. Let me assure you, with all the responsibility vested in me, this is not a witch hunt. I, too, have served under Sri Tarun Gogoi, and I fully understand the gravity of such actions,” the CM said.

Mr. Sarma and the BJP have been attacking Gaurav Gogoi, the Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, over Colburn’s alleged connection with Pakistan’s spy agency.

“What I am doing is driven solely by national security interests — an area where there can be no compromise. I have taken an oath to protect the security and sovereignty of our nation, and I will uphold it, no matter what,” Mr. Sarma asserted.

“This is a duty that transcends politics and personal ties — this is about our country,” he added.

Mr. Bordoloi had in a post on Sunday said, “People of Assam will never buy such a hypothesis of his #Government and would give a befitting reply to such #Skulduggery politics of @himantabiswa in the earliest opportunity they get in the near future.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Gogoi slammed Sarma, asserting that the BJP leader’s fear of losing the 2026 Assembly polls is the main reason behind the recent developments.

The Assam Police on Monday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a case against Pakistan national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh for his social media comments on Assam and India’s internal affairs.

Sheikh, an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, was charged under various sections of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

After much hue and cry over Colburn’s alleged ISI links, the Assam Cabinet had on Sunday decided not to register any case against the parliamentarian or his British spouse, but instructed the DGP to file an FIR against the Pakistani national.

The State government also announced that it will write to the Centre to probe Colburn’s participation in Lok Sabha campaigns in the erstwhile Kaliabor constituency, which was won by the Congress MP twice, despite being a British citizen.

Softening his stand on Gogoi, Mr. Sarma had on Sunday said the Opposition leader may be “trapped or blackmailed” in the larger “anti-India” conspiracy and expressed sympathy for him.

The BJP leader had last week targeted the Assam MP over the issue, demanding answers regarding the 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”, referring to Colburn’s nationality.

He had also alleged that the Deputy Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha had raised questions in Parliament on sensitive defence matters after his marriage with the British citizen, a charge termed by the opposition leader as “false accusation”.

Mr Gogoi had dubbed allegations about his wife’s links with Pakistan and the ISI as “laughable and entertaining”.

He also said on Friday that the BJP went to extreme steps to defame him and his family, and asserted that he would be taking appropriate legal action.

Guwahati:

The BJP has claimed that the wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has links with Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI, drawing a sharp retort from the leader. 

BJP Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged on Wednesday that Elizabeth Colebourn, the wife of Mr Gogoi, had ties with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while she worked with the Climate and Knowledge Development Network (CDKN) in Islamabad under Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a former advisor to the Planning Commission of Pakistan. Ms Colebourn allegedly continues to hold British citizenship.

After similar allegations were also made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, without naming Mr Gogoi, the Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha hit back with a movie reference and said sarcastically that he must then be a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) agent. The Congress MP also said that the Assam chief minister was making the claims because of cases of alleged land grabbing against his family. 

Claiming that it was a matter of national security, BJP Spokesperson Bhatia posted on X, “Very disturbing and serious facts have come to light that the Deputy Leader of Opposition, Gaurav Gogoi and his wife have links with Pakistan and the ISI. I am saying this with some responsibility that Gaurav Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth Colburn (sic), has links with Tauqir Sheikh (sic), who happens to be the advisor in the Pakistan Planning Commission.”

“This is a serious issue which poses a threat to the national security of the country therefore we wish to ask Mr. Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge that Gaurav Gogoi needs to come out and give clear details of Elizabeth’s association with ISI and Pakistan…Why is Elizabeth Colburn working with Pakistani ISI agents,” he asked.

Referring to Mr Gandhi’s remarks on “fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian state itself”, Mr Bhatia continued, “Are they working in furtherance of the statement made by Mr Rahul Gandhi that the fight of Rahul Gandhi and Congress is with the Indian state? Will the Congress start supporting ISI and Pakistan to make their political ends meet… Why is it that the Congress party always turns out to be the best friend of Pakistan and ISI when it comes to conspiring against India?”

‘Ecosystem Involved’

Without giving details or naming Mr Gogoi, Assam Chief Minister Sarma questioned if foreign powers – linked to US billionaire George Soros’ “ecosystem” – had influenced a major decision of Assam Congress in 2014. 

In a series of posts on X, Mr Sarma wrote, “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. Additionally, participation in a conversion cartel and receiving funds from external sources, including George Soros, to destabilise national security are grave concerns that cannot be ignored. 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”.

The chief minister added, “During my interactions with an IFS (Indian Foreign Service) officer in Singapore, I learned that officers in the Indian Foreign Service cannot marry a foreign national without prior permission from the Government of India. Moreover, even when permission is granted, it comes with the condition that the spouse must acquire Indian citizenship within six months. Interestingly, this rule does not apply to our lawmakers. However, allowing a foreign spouse of a lawmaker to retain foreign citizenship for 12 years is far too long. Loyalty to the nation must always take precedence over all other considerations,” he added. 

‘Ploy To Save Himself’

Gaurav Gogoi counterattacked with a movie reference. 

“If Salman Khan’s wife can be an ISI agent like in ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’, then I must be a RAW agent too,” Mr Gogoi said. 

“It is something laughable, the BJP has nothing to do. Someone’s land-grabbing cases are unearthed one after another, defamation cases are being filed one after another. These are baseless allegations without any substance. This shows their weakness and the fact that they are fast losing ground,” he said. 

“Those who make such allegations must see their family is facing cases of land grabbing and engaged in the debate of setting up a resort. The Assam chief minister is tense that the new BJP president Dilip Saikia will become chief minister in another two or three months. The BJP leadership in New Delhi knows about the land cases of the Sarma family and he is worried about getting replaced. This is a ploy to save himself,” the Congress MP alleged.