Assam Congress leaders have sharply criticized Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent press conference alleging Pakistani connections involving Gaurav Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, labeling it a “super flop.”
Press Conference Backlash
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) report, dated September 10 and pending for nearly six months, reached the state cabinet on February 7. Despite elaborate arrangements and invitations to national media from New Delhi, the Chief Minister faced tough questions during the over two-hour event, leaving him in an awkward spot, according to party statements.
Congress leaders assert that the Chief Minister provided no concrete evidence to back his claims throughout the session.
Gaurav Gogoi Fires Back
Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi dismissed the press conference as a failed spectacle. “For nearly two and a half hours, the Chief Minister tried to promote his flop film to the public but failed to sway the journalists, especially those from Delhi,” Gogoi stated. “I predicted it would flop, but it turned out to be a super flop.”
Gogoi accused the timing of the disclosure as a distraction from land scam allegations ahead of assembly elections. “Journalists expected revelations on September 10, but it took six months. Now, with elections nearing and our exposure of 12,000 bighas of land plus public support for the Paribartan Yatra, this delayed show emerges just two months before polls,” he added.
He highlighted presenting evidence of 3,000 bighas linked to the Chief Minister’s family within three days, contrasting it with the press conference’s lack of substance. Gogoi also noted his presence in Sipajhar, linking it to recent political gains like former MLA Binanda Saikia’s Congress entry. “People of Assam see through the 12,000 bighas issue as real, while these claims are mere drama,” he said, claiming documentary proof available online via a dedicated website.
AICC General Secretary Condemns Personal Attacks
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Jitendra Singh, overseeing Assam, denounced the allegations against Gaurav Gogoi, his wife, and even an eight-year-old child as “extremely reprehensible.” “Baseless personal attacks on a respected family hurt every Assamese. Tarun Gogoi elevated Himanta Biswa Sarma politically, yet after switching sides, serial accusations follow,” Singh remarked.
Singh questioned the government’s handling of the SIT probe and alleged past conspiracies against figures like Sarbananda Sonowal.
Senior Leaders Question SIT Findings
All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, visiting Mangaldoi, accused the Chief Minister of misleading the public with false narratives, predicting voter backlash.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora called the event a “super flop,” noting the SIT’s admission of limited scope—covering only 20% of claims—and referral to central agencies. “If national security was at stake since 2013, why no action post-2014? No FIR or chargesheet means no evidence—not even a chocolate bomb,” Bora quipped, promising a detailed Congress response.
Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia termed it a “flop show” that degraded the Chief Minister’s office. Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress President Mira Borthakur said residents tire of such theatrics, while APCC Media Chairman Bedabrat Bora labeled the delayed reveal an “anti-climax” that undermined dignity before national media.
