Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday (March 25, 2026) dismissed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations linking him and his wife with Pakistan as a “wild theory existing in his head” and said such claims exposed the CM’s “weakness” and the extent to which he can deal with a matter as weighty as national security.
Speaking to PTI, the Jorhat MP said there was a clear difference between Mr Sarma’s attacks and the allegations leveled by the Congress against the Chief Minister.
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“There is a difference between what Sarma is saying and what I am saying against him – it is a ‘wild theory’ that exists only in his head and relates to something very serious like national security,” Mr Gogoi said.
“What we are saying about his family, his wealth, the corruption and the benefit that the government machinery gives to his wife’s company – everyone needs to see that,” he said.
It is well documented, many stories have been published, people are fighting these allegations in court and there is a whole list of publicly documented and media reported evidence, he said.
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In contrast, Sarma’s allegations are “fiction” and he is “selling national security as a wild theory to fulfill his larger agenda”, Mr Gogoi alleged.
“National security should be above politics. The Chief Minister should have some weight and should not make such wild allegations on this serious matter,” he said.
Mr Sarma has been attacking Mr Gogoi and his British wife Elizabeth Clare Gogoi, saying he has links with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and has set up an SIT to investigate the matter.
Mr Gogoi alleged that such allegations exposed Mr Sarma’s “weaknesses” and “insecurities”.
“It reveals too much about what he perceives as a threat from Congress. It shows how far he can go to sling mud at something as serious as national security,” he said.
He claimed that the allegations made his family stronger.
“We realized how strong a family we are. Everyone was strong, including my wife, who took these personal attacks very strongly. It just made us appreciate each other’s roles and value systems more,” he added.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is contesting the Assembly polls for the first time, said the Congress had answered “numerous questions” about the allegations but Mr Sarma had not answered questions about “why taxpayers’ money is being allocated and sanctioned for his wife’s company”. He also claimed that the current leadership is practicing the politics of fear and intimidation.
“If you criticize this government, you will be imprisoned, cut off from the plans. This is not the politics of democracy but of fascism, and the people of Assam deserve better,” he said.
Mr Gogoi expressed confidence that voters would judge parties on the basis of “moral courage”.
“People see how we approach politics and stamp the vote on the issue of moral courage,” he said.
Referring to his father, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, he said people remember “the way he brought Assam out of insurgency and brought peace and from financial insecurity to a stable fiscal phase”.
“People remember the past and hope it will come back,” he added.
Mr. Gogoi said several issues remain unresolved in the state and the Congress aims to form a “constructive, action-oriented government”.
“They expect us to clean up the dirty politics practiced for the last six to seven years, provide an alternative government, ensure industrial growth and much more. People’s expectations will be my priorities,” he said.
He said of the six-party opposition alliance that he would have preferred an earlier conclusion to negotiations, but was “very satisfied” with the outcome.
The opposition alliance now includes six parties – Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and CPI(ML).
“Never before has the Congress been in such a rainbow coalition and the response of the people has been overwhelming,” he added.
He said the delay was due to detailed discussions on organizational strength, seat-sharing and winning candidates among the partners.
People are very excited about Congress, Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad coming together as the three parties complement each other, he said.
“Congress is a party with a nationalist ideology – ‘nation first, India first’; AJP is from the regional stream of politics and Akhila Gogoi’s trajectory from Raijor Dal is from the Left,” he added.
Published – 25 March 2026 10:40 AM IST
