Dhubri (Assam) [India]: In a sharp escalation of the ongoing political tensions in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday alleged that Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s children are not Indian citizens and questioned his alleged visit to Pakistan.
“I have evidence that Gaurav Gogoi’s son and daughter are not Indian citizens. We are examining what he did there (Pakistan) for 15 days. There is no tourism place in Pakistan; it is only a terrorist adda. It is 100 per cent confirmed that he went there, but what did he do there in 15 days? Robert Vadra and Gaurav Gogoi are more concerned about Pakistan than India,” Sarma told reporters.
The remarks come amid a heated social media battle between the two leaders, with both trading personal accusations in the lead-up to the Panchayat elections currently underway in the state.
Earlier this week, Sarma had directly questioned Gogoi on X (formerly Twitter), asking whether he had indeed spent 15 consecutive days in Pakistan and requested clarification on several issues:
“Questions for the Hon’ble Member of Parliament from the Congress Party:
- Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit?
- Does your wife indeed receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India? If so, may we ask why a Pakistan-based organisation is paying a salary for activities conducted in India?
- What is the citizenship status of your wife and your two children? Are they Indian citizens, or do they hold citizenship of another country? Many more questions will follow,” Sarma posted.
In response, Gogoi launched a counterattack, demanding proof for the accusations and challenging the Chief Minister to resign if he fails to substantiate the claims regarding Gogoi or his wife being connected to an “enemy country.”
The controversy has intensified political tensions in Assam just as the first phase of Panchayat polls began on Friday in 14 districts, including Sonitpur, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Cachar, and Hailakandi. Voter turnout was reportedly strong, with long queues observed at multiple polling stations.
The Assam State Election Commission has deployed over 1.20 lakh polling personnel and ensured tight security arrangements across all booths to facilitate a peaceful and fair election.
Voting will continue in 13 additional districts in the second phase on May 7, with counting scheduled for May 11. A total of over 1.80 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes across both phases.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP-led NDA alliance has already secured 37 Zila Parishad seats (35 by BJP and 2 by AGP) and 288 Anchalik Panchayat seats (259 by BJP and 29 by AGP) unopposed, giving it an early lead in the local body elections.