Gaurav Gogoi's wife has links with Pakistan, ISI, claims BJP
Gaurav Gogoi denied the charge and said the BJP is resorting to such "baseless allegations" as it has no issue to raise.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn, of having links with Pakistan and ISI. Gogoi called the allegation “laughable”.
BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Gaurav Gogoi should clarify the issue related to Colburn. He also alleged that George Soros funds the organisation Colburn works at.
“Some concerning facts related to national security have come to light. Elizabeth Colburn, the wife of Deputy Leader of Opposition Gaurav Gogoi... her links with Pakistan Planning Commission Advisor Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and the ISI, have been found,” Bhatia told PTI.
"This is extremely concerning and related to national security, so it is expected that Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Gaurav Gogoi will clarify her relations with Pakistan and ISI. The question arising here is that while his wife is a foreign citizen, the organisation she works for is funded by George Soros," he added.
Also Read | Congress MP's message to PM Narendra Modi after case filed against Ranveer Allahbadia
He also questioned whether Gaurav Gogoi and his wife are working with Pakistan and ISI to carry forward a plan to weaken India.
"A few days ago, when Rahul Gandhi said that his fight is with the Indian State, are Gaurav Gogoi and his wife to work with Pakistan and ISI to carry forward that plan and weaken India?" Gaurav Bhatia questioned.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also said in a post on X that serious questions need to be answered regarding the allegations of ISI links.
"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," Sarma said.
"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," he added.
Gaurav Gogoi responds
In response, Gaurav Gogoi termed Bhatia's charge "laughable and entertaining" and said the BJP was resorting to levelling such baseless allegations against him and his family because there were no issues to raise.
"The BJP has no issue and resorts to these baseless allegations. It conducted the same smear campaign against me and my family before the Lok Sabha polls last year and the people of Jorhat parliamentary constituency replied (to it) by electing me," the Congress leader said, according to PTI.
Referring to Sarma's post, Gogoi alleged that various “land scams” by the chief minister's family had been reported to BJP leaders in Delhi.
"Fearing that he might lose his chair, he is trying to divert attention by launching a smear campaign against me and my family," the Congress leader claimed.
“The assembly election is still a year away but it seems that the BJP is on a shaky ground with people losing faith in the party due to which it has launched this attack on me," he added.
(Inputs from PTI)