In a significant political development ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has leveled serious accusations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, his wife Elizabeth Colburn, and a Pakistani national named Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. During a press conference held on Sunday in Guwahati, the Chief Minister suggested that the trio shares a suspicious relationship that potentially compromises India's national security.

The core of Sarma's allegation rests on the claim that critical intelligence was leaked across the border. He stated that the three individuals have a "deeper connection" and that sensitive information originating from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was secretly provided to the neighbouring nation. This assertion has introduced a tense new dimension to the political discourse in the state.

Alleged Financial Irregularities and Conspiracy

Expanding on the nature of these ties, Sarma alleged financial misconduct involving Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules. He claimed that FCRA rules were violated to pay salary to Colburn by Sheikh when she was working in India. The Chief Minister described this financial arrangement as part of a larger, more sinister plot.

"We believe there is a deeper connection between Gaurav Gogoi, Elizabeth Colburn and Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. We believe that Elizabeth and Ali Tauqeer Sheikh were part of an international conspiracy," the CM said, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. According to Sarma, the group operated outside the oversight of Indian authorities. He asserted that they bypassed the Indian government to work with local municipal agencies, and this cannot be probed by the Assam Police. “So we recommended a national probe by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.”

The Chief Minister provided specific details regarding Colburn's professional history to support his claims. He noted, "Elizabeth worked in Pakistan with Lead Pakistan, an organisation of Sheikh. Then she was transferred to India and worked in the same organisation. But her salary continued to be paid by Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.”

Sarma explained the alleged money trail, stating that Lead Pakistan sent money to Lead India, and Lead India paid to Elizabeth bypasssing FCRA regulations. He further argued that such transactions are inherently suspicious given the source. “Pakistani agencies cannot donate to an Indian entity as it's an enemy nation. Probably special permission was obtained in UPA time to pay Elizabeth," he added, pointing a finger at the previous administration.

Espionage and Secret Information

The allegations went beyond financial impropriety to include potential espionage. Sarma claimed that after working in India, Colburn started gathering information surrounding India and used to give reports to Sheikh. He alleged that she accessed high-level intelligence regarding government policy changes.

"Elizabeth got information from IB sources about climate action after Narendra Modi came to power. She sent a 45-page report to Sheikh," he added. The Chief Minister also highlighted Colburn’s frequent travel to Pakistan, noting that when working with Lead India, Colburn travelled to Islamabad six times, while visiting Pakistan thrice after joining another NGO.

Her mode of travel was also called into question. Sarma remarked, "Elizabeth used to visit Pakistan only through the Attari border to keep it a low-key affair, and she never went by flight."Political Links and Secret Trips

Sarma suggested that these operations were facilitated by powerful figures within the Indian establishment at the time. He asserted that getting Pakistani funds directly by violating FCRA is not easy, and he believes that there may be "another handler very close" to the establishment of the UPA government.

He also raised questions about a foreign bank account, alleging that Colburn had a Pakistani bank account to receive salaries there, but she did not reply during questioning if it was closed or still active. This omission, according to Sarma, extends to her husband’s official declarations. "Gaurav, however, did not mention this Pakistani account in his election affidavit. Now, I feel his opponent should complain to the Election Commission about giving wrong information in the affidavit," he added.

Sarma declared that the Assam govt will seek cancellation of OCI/VISA of Colburn as her presence is detrimental to India.

The Chief Minister also focused on Gaurav Gogoi's own movements, alleging that the MP undertook a "very confidential visit" to Pakistan in 2013 and was believed to have undergone "some kind of training" there. Elaborating on this trip, which took place in December 2013, prior to his marriage, Sarma noted that Gogoi was staying at the CM's residence then, as his father Tarun Gogoi was the Chief Minister.

"The Assam Police's Special Branch was not informed about that visit. We found that Gaurav was allowed to visit Islamabad and Karachi, though the VISA was issued for Lahore only," Sarma revealed. He found the MP's behavior during the trip suspicious. "He stayed there for 10 days. Strangely, Gaurav was digitally silent and no social media post was made. We suspect he went through some kind of training in that period," Sarma said.

He further claimed that this trip influenced Gogoi's parliamentary conduct. Sarma claimed that after returning from Pakistan and becoming an MP, Gogoi asked questions in Lok Sabha on defence hardware, nuclear plants and other sensitive issues, like if India was spying in Pakistan.Gogoi’s Sharp Rebuttal

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi was quick to dismiss the press conference, mocking the Chief Minister's performance. While the event was still in progress, Gogoi took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his disdain.

"I pity the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to suffer the most flop press conference of the century. This was worse than a C grade cinema," Gogoi wrote. He further criticized the content of the allegations, stating that "Most mindless and bogus points" had been presented by the "so-called political shrewd" CM.

Gogoi contrasted the Chief Minister's narrative with his own party's recent political activities. "This #SuperFlop is in contrast to our #XomoyParivartanYatra which has been a hit in uncovering the 12,000 bighas of land occupied by the Chief Minister and his family members," Gogoi said, turning the tables with his own accusations of land grabbing.

Citizenship Controversies and Legal Stance

The press conference also touched upon personal family details regarding citizenship and religion. Sarma said that Gogoi surrendered his son's Indian passport in 2022 after the minor was given British citizenship.

He drew a distinction in how the family identifies religiously in official documents. "Gaurav's son used to write Hindu as religion in Indian passport, but stopped writing it after change in citizenship. His daughter writes Christian in British passport. Gaurav's religion is Hindu in passport. So, he will always be minority in his home," he added. Drawing a historical parallel, Sarma said Sonia Gandhi left her Italian citizenship after Rajiv Gandhi became PM, and Rahul Gandhi should compare this with Gogoi's case.

Addressing why no immediate legal action had been taken against the MP, the Chief Minister explained that the state police had exercised restraint. To a question, the CM said Assam Police's SIT did not question Gogoi during its probe “as he is a sitting MP. We have left it to the Centre, showing some respect to his position.”

Sarma concluded by explaining the political optics of an arrest. "If I arrest Gaurav now, I will be accused of doing politics before elections. Arresting is a harsh step. I feel Gaurav is the most vulnerable politician in India now, as all his movements in the 10-day stay must have been photographed and recorded in Pakistan," Sarma said.

Finally, providing context on the Pakistani national involved, the BJP leader noted that Sheikh visited India 13 times from 2010 to 2013 during UPA tenure and focused on "anti-India narrative globally". He added a detail about Sheikh's recent online behavior: "After Assam Police began the probe, Sheikh deleted all tweets to protect someone," he added.

According to various media reports, including those from India Today and The Hindu, this escalation marks a significant flashpoint between the BJP and Congress in Assam as the state heads toward elections.