Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 8 : A major political drama unfolded in Assam between Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday, with both levelling major allegations against each other, involving espionage and corruption.
Addressing a long-awaited press conference in Guwahati, Chief Minister Sarma released findings from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, alleging that Gaurav Gogoi, his British wife Elizabeth Colburn, and a Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, share "deep links".
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi immediately dismissed the allegations as "mindless and bogus" and termed Sarma's two-and-a-half-hour press conference as "superflop", claiming that the Chief Minister provided no evidence but that they had legitimate evidence of the Sarma family's illegal occupation of 12,000 bighas (nearly 4,000 acres) of land across Assam.
Addressing a press conference here today, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi worked in Pakistan from March 18, 2011, to March 17, 2012, and her family had close ties with Ali Tauqeer Sheikh.
The Assam CM said, "I was in Singapore with a proposal to invest in Assam. At that time, this photo went viral, showing Assam's MP Gaurav Gogoi taking some youth to the Pakistan Embassy. Abdul Basit was the then High Commissioner of Pakistan to India. In a manner, he attempted to legitimise Pakistan. If you see this photo in the backdrop of the Kargil War, Captain Jintu Gogoi from Assam sacrificed himself for the nation. Several others sacrificed themselves to the nation."
Terming it an unprecedented incident, Sarma said, "Everyone knows about our relations with Pakistan and how the people of the country stood behind the PM during Operation Sindoor. This shows the sentiments of the country. I don't think any other Congress leader ever visited Pakistan with a delegation like this. For a long time, I thought that the picture was photoshopped. But after two to three days, Congress leaders started endorsing it. Then I realised that this picture is true. Then we opened up the entire investigation because it cannot be isolated."
Sarma said, "Followed by this, Abdul Basit paid a visit to Assam also. But an Ambassador can always come, I don't want to go on for long. But following this picture, he came to Assam also. Then we tried to lift the veil, and there must be something more. We searched and found that Gaurav Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, was working in Pakistan from March 18, 2011, to March 17, 2012. Then we searched further on different open source and social media. We found that the family is very closely connected with a person called Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. She worked in Pakistan, and during that period, they became very close to a Pakistani gentleman called Ali Tauqeer Sheikh."
Further, he stated that the state cabinet has decided that the matter should be investigated by a central agency. He said the case will be transferred to the Centre once the state receives an affirmative response.
CM Sarma said that the SIT probe has reached a point where it cannot proceed further without central assistance.
Congress Assam President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday refuted the allegations made by the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma against his wife Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, calling it a "super flop" press conference.
In an X post, Gogoi hit back at Sarma's allegations, citing the Samay Parivartan Yatra, which Congress began to expose alleged corruption and communal politics by the BJP in the State.
"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. Most mindless and bogus points offered by the so-called political shrewd Chief Minister. This Super Flop is in contrast to our Xomoy Parivartan Yatra, which has been a hit in uncovering the 12,000 bighas of land occupied by the Chief Minister and his family members," the Congress MP wrote.
Gogoi also accused the Assam CM of raking up old allegations of anti-national activities against him as the issue of 12,000 bighas of land comes to the fore, with people coming out and wanting to see a new Bor Assam.
He said that the "Samay Parivartan Yatra" exposes the alleged 12,000-bigha land grab."Earlier, I also said that this will flop; this is not a flop, it is a super flop. He (Sarma) intended to say this on September 10, but he fell asleep for 6 months afterwards. If it is important, what was he doing for the last 6 months? With the election approaching, we are disclosing the issue of their 12,000 bighas of land. By seeing the Samay Parivartan Yatra, people are coming out, and people want to see a new Bor Assam," Gogoi told reporters here.
Amid a heated battle between Himanta Biswa Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi ahead of the upcoming assembly polls, the Assam Congress said that the press conference held by the Chief Minister, alleging Pakistani links to Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, turned out to be a "complete anti-climax".
"He has failed to convince even himself, let alone his government. On the other hand, within just three days, we were able to place before the public evidence of 3,000 bighas of land owned by the Chief Minister's family. That is why their film has turned into a super flop, while our Yatra for Change has become a hit," Gogoi said.
Amid the drama, BJP workers in Assam's Sribhumi district held a protest rally against APCC President Gaurav Gogoi for his alleged links to Pakistan, raising slogans against him.
This political confrontation comes ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections, where the BJP have set an ambitious goal of winning 100 seats.