‘Will you resign if…’: Gaurav Gogoi questions CM Himanta Biswa Sarma over ‘visited Pak’ remark; both leaders trade barbs

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday, in response to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s ‘visited Pakistan’ allegations, reiterated three questions he had raised earlier in the day.

In a post on X, Gogoi had asked the CM if he would resign if he failed to prove his allegations against Gogoi and his wife being agents of an enemy country, and if the CM would take questions on his own children and wife.

The Assam Chief Minister’s big claims come amidst the rising tensions between India and Pakistan after a deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam district on April 22 killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists.

Later in the day, Gogoi also accused CM Sarma and his colleagues of doing “petty politics” over the Pahalgam terror attack. “Amid people’s unity against Pahalgam terrorist attack, he and his colleagues in the party are doing petty politics…clearly in Assam, CM is insecure because there are elections next year. This is to divert the attention of people from his failures,” Gogoi told ANI.

When asked about the allegations made by CM Sarma against him, Gogoi said, “He has been making all these allegations for the past 3 months. An SIT has also been constituted. We are waiting for the SIT to submit its support,” the ANI report said.

Why was Gogoi repeating his questions?

The Congress MP had posted the same questions for the Assam CM earlier in the day, to which CM Sarma had responded by “clarifying” that neither him nor his children had ever visited Pakistan. He also challenged Gogoi by saying, “now, it’s your turn to answer.”

“I would like to clarify that neither I nor my son and daughter have ever visited Pakistan. Furthermore, my wife and our entire family would never even think of accepting any salary or financial support from Pakistan,” Sarma said in his post on X.

“All members of my family, including my wife, son, and daughter, are Indian citizens. None of my children has ever surrendered or renounced Indian citizenship. Now, it is your turn to answer,” he added.

Claiming that “sufficient material” will be made public in the coming days, Sarma set a deadline for September 10, 2025. “In the coming days, sufficient material will be placed in the public domain exposing the connections between the concerned Congress Member of Parliament and Pakistan. Wait for 10th September 2025,” his post on X read.

How did the spat begin?

The spat between the two leaders began after Assam CM Sarma, in a post on X, asked a Congress MP whether he had stayed in Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days. Without naming anyone, Sarma had also asked if the leader’s wife got salary from an NGO in Pakistan.

CM Sarma’s three questions

“Questions for the Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the Congress Party: 1. Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit?” he asked.

The CM also questioned whether it is true that the MP’s wife “continues to receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India”.

“If so, may we ask why a Pakistan-based organisation is paying a salary for activities conducted in India?” Sarma questioned.

e also asked about the citizenship status of the parliamentarian’s wife and two children.

“Are they Indian citizens, or do they hold the citizenship of any other country? Many more questions will follow,” he added.

Before posting his questions on X, the CM had made the big claim while talking to news agency ANI, three days ago. He had also said that the matter is under investigation by the SIT and evidence has been found against the MP’s wife.

“We have found some important evidence that the MP’s wife used to get salary from Pakistan for three years. She was working in Delhi, but her salary used to come from Pakistan. In the month of June-July, we are going to discuss this matter with the MP. The SIT of Assam Police will meet the MP and his family to know their side and then submit the report before September. But it is true that he spent 15 days in Islamabad without informing the Government of India and the Government of Assam,” the Assam CM said.

What is the SIT report both leaders are referring to?

While Gogoi did not clarify which investigation he was referring to, the state government had in February formed a SIT to probe into the alleged interference of Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is claimed to have links with Gogoi’s British wife Elizabeth Colburn, in India’s internal affairs, according to a PTI report.

The Assam Police had filed a case against Sheikh for his social media comments on India’s internal affairs under various sections of the BNS and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in February. Sheikh is an advisor of the Pakistan Planning Commission and a former colleague of Colburn, the report said.

Sheikh’s social media posts include exhaustive commentary on India’s internal affairs and parliamentary matters, raising serious concerns about his intention to compromise and damage India’s interests, the report added.

Congress MP KC Venugopal vs Assam CM

Another round of social media tirade began between Congress MP KC Venugopal and Sarma when the former took to X, criticising the Assam CM for making “baseless” allegations against Gogoi and questioning his loyalty. Venugopal even went on to call Sarma’s comments as “pathetic” and “below the belt”.

“Today, against Pakistan, unity is the need of the hour. By frivolously using the Pakistan bogie against an upright public figure like Sh. Gogoi, who has been at the forefront of the attack against the CM, he is only emboldening our rivals as well as confirming that he has no credible response to the mounting evidence of widespread corruption against him.

Sh. Gaurav Gogoi is an honest leader who is taking on the might of a police state, we steadfastly stand by him,” Venugopal said in his post.

In a quick, and a rather long response to Venugopal, Sarma soon posted a reply with a fierce “No Sir” beginning. Sarma not only rewrote the questions he had asked Gogoi in his earlier post, but also asserted that everything he has said is based on verifiable facts and authentic information.   

Claiming that his questions weren’t rhetoric, but legitimate instead, Sarma clarified his comments had “nothing to do with below-the-belt statements” or “personal attacks”. 

“This is not rhetoric. It is a factual assertion made after due diligence and careful investigation…. These are legitimate questions arising out of facts in the public interest. There are many more questions that will be raised in due course. Our investigation is ongoing, and it is being conducted responsibly, based purely on facts and documents. It has absolutely nothing to do with any below-the-belt political statements or personal attacks,” Sarma said in his post on X.