Who is Elizabeth Gogoi? Congress MP’s wife targeted by Assam CM over ‘Pakistan ISI links’
Himanta Biswa Sarma accuses Gaurav Gogoi's wife of having links with Pakistan, sparking a fierce rebuttal from Gogoi.
Himanta Biswa Sarma has targeted Gaurav Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Gogoi, over alleged “Pakistan links”, prompting a sharp response from the Congress MP, who accused the Assam chief minister of being “restless” and insecure about his position.
Dismissing the allegations as “laughable", Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday said, “If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, then I am an R&AW agent of India. I don't mind if a family against whom there are various cases and several allegations makes accusations against me. The Assam chief minister is making these allegations only to divert attention from the allegations against him.”
Gaurav Gogoi responded to Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia allegations that his wife had links with Pakistan and the ISI, demanding clarification. Bhatia claimed that the issue was a matter of national security.
“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. 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,” Bhatia said.
Also Read | 'If my wife is Pakistani ISI agent, then I am India's RAW agent': Gaurav Gogoi hits back at Assam CM Himanta
Who is Elizabeth Gogoi?
Elizabeth Gogoi, born Elizabeth Colebourn in the UK, holds a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics (LSE) and married Gaurav Gogoi in 2013.
She previously worked with the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), an association now being targeted by the BJP.
According to her author profile on the CDKN website, where her last article dates back to 2014, she coordinated the organisation’s work in India and Nepal.
“Elizabeth joined CDKN in March 2011 with a background in climate change and development policy-making and research. This included working in the European Parliament on the negotiations of the 2009 EU Climate Change Package, and as a researcher in the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) looking at EU development cooperation. She also has experience working in the US Senate, UN Secretariat and for NGOs in Tanzania and South Africa,” the website reads.
Also Read | Himanta flags Pak envoy’s 2015 event in new attack on Gaurav Gogoi
CDKN focuses on “improving the well-being of the most climate-affected people in the global South, especially marginalised groups, through transformative climate-resilient action,” as per its website.
Established in 2010, CDKN operates in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and is managed by SouthSouthNorth in collaboration with Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano and ICLEI South Asia.
Assam CM Sarma questioned Elizabeth Gogoi's foreign citizenship and her past work in Pakistan, suggesting a broader foreign influence. “Sooner or later, it will be known how foreign powers, led by George Soros' ecosystem, influenced a major decision of Assam Congress in 2014. The truth will emerge in due course,” Sarma claimed.
He further alleged that the couple has close links with the ISI and accused them of taking young minds to the Pakistan high commission for "brainwashing and radicalisation."
Raising concerns about past interactions, Sarma highlighted a 2015 meeting where then-Pakistani high commissioner Abdul Basit invited a first-term MP and his startup to discuss India-Pakistan relations.
"The MP was not a member of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs at the time," he said, questioning the intent behind the meeting.