Bound by Oath to Protect Nation's Security: Himanta Govt to Move Court Against Gogoi's Wife's 'Links' With Pak

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had shared a photograph of Gaurav Gogoi with a Pakistan envoy Abdul Basit after accusing Gaurav Gogoi's British wife Elizabeth Colburn of having ‘links’ with Pakistan and ISI. The Assam CM has now decided to move court against Gogoi's wife to ‘protect the nation's security' and has also slammed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for speaking in favour of Gogoi and his wife.

Assam CM ‘Bound by Oath to Protect Nation’s Security', To Move Court Against Gogoi's Wife

Assam CM Himanta responded to the support extended to Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Colburn by senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and the latter's attack on him by saying, “Who will be the former and present Chief Minister will be decided by the people of Assam -- not by you. I do not wish to remind you of the humiliating defeat Congress has faced since 2014. However, as long as we hold office, we are bound by our oath to protect the security of the nation. Therefore, I also advise the concerned MP to move the court at the earliest so that at the very least, this issue can be discussed on a judicial platform. I wholeheartedly welcome legal action against me. The government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings from today.”

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday welcomed Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s planned legal action over the controversy surrounding his British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, and said the state government is also initiating legal proceedings. Reacting to a post by Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Sarma reminded the opposition of its electoral losses, saying, "I wholeheartedly welcome legal action against me. In fact, the government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings from today." 

Police Case Likely to be Registered, SIT To Be Constituted: Himanta 

Stepping up the attack on Gogoi, Assam CM Himanta on Saturday said a police case is likely to be registered and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be constituted to probe into the allegations of Pakistan links of the opposition leader's British wife Elizabeth Colburn. 

He said that a detailed inquiry, involving the "entire ecosystem and sympathisers", will be carried out as apprehensions were being raised about whether ISI had attempted to infiltrate the CMO when Gogoi's father, the late Tarun Gogoi, was heading the state.

Senior Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Labels Himanta's Claims as ‘Character Assassination’

Responding to these allegations, Ramesh on Sunday said, "The Assam CM and the BJP have begun an atrocious smear campaign targeting my colleague @GauravGogoiAsm. This is character assassination of the worst type. Legal action is being initiated right away." The smear campaign is because Gaurav Gogoi won the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in June 2024 despite Assam CM and other ministers camping in Jorhat and campaigning against him, he added.

"It is also because the Jorhat MP has been at the forefront revealing the blatant corruption and blackdeeds of the Assam CM. The Assam CM - like his supreme leader in New Delhi - is a master of defamation, distortion, and diversion. He is trying desperately to get the minds of the people of Assam away from his failures and false claims," Ramesh claimed.

Himanta vs Gogoi Over Elizabeth Colburn's Alleged Pak Links 

To those who are unaware of the issue, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier last week targeted Gogoi 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 status. 

Sarma had also alleged that Gogoi had raised questions in Parliament on sensitive defence matters after his marriage to the British citizen, a charge termed by the opposition leader as a "false accusation". The BJP had on Wednesday accused Gogoi's wife of having links with Pakistan and the ISI, a charge rejected by the Congress leader as "laughable and entertaining".

(Inputs from PTI)