 "Foreign links, blackmail & conspiracy? Himanta targets Gaurav Gogoi's wife")
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has set off a political firestorm with his allegations against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife, Elizabeth Colburn, suggesting that Gogoi may have been "trapped or blackmailed" as part of a larger "anti-India" conspiracy. Sarma insists the issue goes beyond politics and has grave national security implications, particularly questioning Colburn’s alleged links to Pakistan’s ISI and her refusal to take Indian citizenship despite living in the country for 12 years.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Sarma said, “We started discussing this as a political issue, but now it has reached a much higher level. It is no longer just about Gaurav Gogoi. We have proof or information that an anti-India force is actively involved. We will take a decision in today’s cabinet meeting.”
He announced plans to discuss the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to explore coordination between the state and central agencies for further investigation.
International involvement and blackmail allegations
Sarma has hinted at foreign involvement, suggesting that Gogoi may have unknowingly become a pawn in a broader scheme. “It now seems that Gaurav Gogoi is just an actor, not the director. Maybe he is trapped unintentionally. So, we will examine this matter with a sympathetic outlook. We don’t want to accuse him at this moment,” he stated.
He also claimed that external forces from London, America, and Islamabad might be at play, possibly blackmailing Gogoi. “The way London, America, and Islamabad are involved, he may have been blackmailed. Who knows? This entire matter requires a deep and serious investigation,” Sarma said.
Controversy over Gogoi’s wife and ISI links
At the center of the controversy is Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colburn, a UK citizen who has not taken Indian citizenship despite living in India for 12 years. The BJP has accused her of having ties to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, through her work at the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), which had operations in Pakistan.
Sarma has flagged Colburn’s professional association with Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a former advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission, who is allegedly linked to the ISI. “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 tweeted.
He also alleged that CDKN, where Colburn worked, received funding from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. “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.
Gogoi’s 2015 meeting with Pakistani diplomat under scrutiny
Sarma further intensified his attack by questioning Gogoi’s 2015 visit to the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, where he met then-High Commissioner Abdul Basit. Sarma argued that Gogoi was not a member of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs at the time, making his visit suspicious.
“This visit occurred despite India’s official protest against the Pakistani High Commission’s interference in internal matters, particularly its involvement with the Hurriyat Conference. Ignoring these concerns, the MP took 50 to 60 young Indians to meet Pakistani officials,” Sarma tweeted.
The Assam chief minister further linked this incident to Gogoi’s parliamentary behaviour, claiming that he had raised sensitive defence-related questions following his visit.
Gogoi and Congress hit back
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has rejected all allegations, calling them “laughable” and a politically motivated “smear campaign”. He accused the BJP of attempting to distract from its governance failures ahead of the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
“The BJP government has no performance to show. They cannot fulfill their promises. So, to distract from their failures, they are resorting to a baseless, fact-less, slanderous campaign. We will take appropriate legal action,” Gogoi said.
He further ridiculed the claims, stating, “If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, then I am a RAW agent of India.” He also accused Sarma’s family of involvement in land scams and corruption. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh also came to Gogoi’s defence, dismissing the allegations as “an atrocious smear campaign and character assassination of the worst kind.”
Political fallout and road to 2026
With the Assam Assembly elections approaching in 2026, political tensions are running high. Sarma responded to Congress’s claims that the BJP would be ousted next year by saying, “Who will be the former and present chief minister will be decided by Assam’s people, not by Congress leaders. I don’t need to remind you of the humiliating defeats Congress has faced since 2014.”
The BJP has won the last two Assembly elections in Assam, with Sarbananda Sonowal serving as the state’s first BJP chief minister in 2016, followed by Himanta Biswa Sarma in 2021.