Cong hits out at Assam CM Sarma over relentless attacks on Deputy LoP Gogoi

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) The Congress on Sunday slammed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his frequent digs at Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi over alleged Pakistan links. Notably, the war of words between Sarma and Gogoi escalated after the Assam CM's fresh claims about the Congress MP's Pakistan visit, which the Deputy LoP described as "nonsense".

Taking to X, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote: "The personal attacks on my colleague Gaurav Gogoi being continued by the Assam CM are worse than atrocious. Mr. HBS is simply unable to come to grips with the fact that a year back the people of Jorhat voted resoundingly in favour of Gaurav Gogoi and totally rejected the campaign managed by the Assam CM and his colleagues. These attacks are also meant to divert attention away from the Assam CM's own monumental corruption and misdeeds. He knows well that he is the outgoing CM of Assam and hence his increasing desperation."

Earlier, on Sunday, Assam CM Sarma claimed that Gaurav Gogoi visited Pakistan at the invitation of the neighbouring country's Ministry of Interior.

Sarma posted on X: "I reiterate, with full authority and responsibility as the Chief Minister of Assam, that Shri Gaurab Gogoi, Member of Parliament from Assam, visited Pakistan at the invitation of the Ministry of Interior of the Government of Pakistan. He spent several days there. We are enquiring further into the details surrounding this visit and related associations."

Hours later, Gaurav -- son of late former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi -- responding to the claims, said "he is worried about Sarma's health".

"I am worried about the health of the Chief Minister of Assam. For some reason best known to him I have been on his radar since my entry into Assam. He has made many baseless remarks about me in the past 13 years. The most recent one borders on insanity and the absurd. It is often said that when there is something bothering at home, it reflects in the mental state of the person. We will ensure that after 2026 he gets to have some rest," the Congress MP wrote on X.

Further criticising CM Sarma, Gogoi said: "The script that the Chief Minister is following is worse than a B grade film. It is said to cover up one lie a person has to say countless lies. That is exactly what the Chief Minister is doing. He is not giving out any facts and simply behaving like a IT cell troll.

"A Chief Minister should not be a troll. If he has any facts supporting his most recent allegation he should put out in public domain. The farce cannot be hidden for too long."

Challenging CM Sarma to present facts about the claims he has been making, Gogoi said: "Ninety-nine per cent of what the Chief Minister has been saying is nonsense. He should put out the facts in public domain and stop hiding behind an imaginary September deadline. I doubt if even in September the Chief Minister can put out any concrete facts. I remember how during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Assam he created a fuss about a supposed body double of Rahul Gandhi."

"The Chief Minister can remain insecure with me as he has been for the past 13 years. For the Congress party we will focus on the dire economic situation of the state and the coal-drug mafia being run under political protection," Gogoi wrote on X.

A few days ago, CM Sarma during a media interaction in Guwahati, said that they are awaiting certain official correspondence to take further action. He claimed that Gogoi had stayed in Pakistan for 15 days in a personal capacity, accompanied initially by his wife, who returned after seven days.

The CM questioned the motive behind Gogoi's extended stay, especially as his wife had returned to India. "What was he doing in Pakistan while his wife was here?" he asked pointedly.

The CM further alleged that after returning, Gogoi took around 90 students to the Pakistan Embassy, and some of them were reportedly unaware of their destination.

He also alluded to the Gogoi family’s foreign citizenship and claimed that all his immediate family members are non-Indian citizens, raising concerns about national security and political accountability.

Sarma stated that once official documents are received by September 10, he will share them with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Lok Sabha Speaker, acknowledging that further decisions would lie with parliamentary authorities given jurisdictional limits.

--IANS

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