ISI link row: Congress weighs legal action over allegations against Gaurav Gogoi
Meanwhile, the CID has registered an FIR against Pakistan-based leader Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, whom the BJP alleges has ties to Gogoi’s wife;
Guwahati, Feb 17: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) is considering legal action against those alleging that Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife have links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
During a press meet at Guwahati’s Rajiv Bhawan on Monday, Gogoi stated that the APCC had reached out to the legal team of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) regarding the issue.
“We have already discussed the matter with AICC’s legal team, and we will take the next steps forward. These allegations are weak attempts by the chief minister. At first, he (Chief Minister) made me a villain, and after tomorrow’s cabinet discussion, he made me a victim,” said Gogoi.
The Jorhat MP asserted that if an investigation were to be conducted, the authorities were free to proceed, adding that the Congress party stood firm in its position and was confident of its stance.
“It is only natural for the Chief Minister to be afraid, as elections in Assam are just 12 months away,” said the deputy leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha.
Gogoi further alleged that with the 2026 elections approaching, Sarma was resorting to politically motivated smear campaigns to divert public attention from the failures of the BJP government in Assam.
APCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah also condemned the chief minister’s remarks, asserting that neither the chief minister’s position nor the BJP’s hold on power is permanent.
Dismissing the allegations as baseless, Borah said, “These are mere tactics to tarnish Gaurav Gogoi’s image.”
“I want to let Sarma know that Gaurav Gogoi is not alone in this fight. I would also like to remind the DGP and the inquiry commission that while conducting the probe, they must remember—Himanta’s tenure as chief minister is not permanent, and neither is the BJP’s power,” Borah added.
Meanwhile, following the Assam Cabinet’s directive to register an FIR against a Pakistan-based leader, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh—whom the BJP has claimed has ties to Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colburn—a case has been registered with the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
“After yesterday’s cabinet meeting, the CID was instructed to file a case. Today, the team registered a case under Sections 48, 152, 61, and 197(1) of the BNS, read with Section 13(1) of the UAPA, against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and unidentified others. The investigation is underway,” said Assam DGP Harmeet Singh.
In addition a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the matter.
The controversy stems from the BJP’s earlier claim that Colburn had connections with the ISI while working with the Climate and Knowledge Development Network (CDKN) in Islamabad under Sheikh, a former advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission.
