Guwahati

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the investigation into Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan is being carried out purely in the interest of national security, asserting that any political fallout from the probe is incidental.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a government programme, Sarma said the state cabinet would discuss the Special Investigation Team (SIT) report later in the day and take a call on the next steps.

“This is not a political issue. The investigation is being conducted for the sake of national security. Whatever impact it has on politics is secondary,” the chief minister said.

Without naming them, Sarma claimed that two foreign nationals — one a Pakistani citizen and the other a British national — were central to the matter. He further alleged that the British citizen is the spouse of an Indian MP.

According to Sarma, the Assam government’s probe has certain limitations, but the information gathered so far is significant. “What we have uncovered is only about 10 per cent. The remaining 90 per cent will come out once the case reaches central agencies,” he said, adding that bodies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could take the inquiry forward.

The SIT was constituted by the Assam government to investigate allegations that Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is alleged to have links with Congress MP Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, interfered in India’s internal affairs. Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, had earlier said the SIT report would provide evidence to support his claims against Gogoi.

Although the report was submitted on September 10, delays followed. The chief minister has now said the findings would be made public on February 8 after cabinet deliberations.

Sarma also alleged that Gogoi had offered misleading explanations to local television channels when the accusations first surfaced. “Whether the media chooses to revisit and verify his earlier statements is for them to decide,” he remarked.

Responding to the allegations earlier, Gogoi had strongly rejected the charges, calling them “baseless, absurd and insane.” He accused Sarma of behaving like an “IT cell troll” and making claims without presenting credible facts.

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Gogoi, who heads the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, has maintained that the allegations are politically motivated and intended to deflect attention from governance issues in the state.