"Trying to divert attention...": Congress' Imran Pratapgarhi condemns Assam CM's remarks on Gaurav Gogoi

Feb 16, 2025

Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 16 : Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi lashed out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his allegations against MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Gogoi, and said the allegations have been brought only to divert attention ahead of the assembly elections in the state.
Pratapgarhi also highlighted that there are numerous accusations against many BJP leaders but there is no information regarding any action taken against them.
"There are so many BJP leaders who are accused of such things, and it is not known what action is being taken against them...This is a new issue that has been raised by the Assam BJP and the Chief Minister because they know that in the upcoming elections, the people of Assam are going to vote against the corruption of their government, so they are trying to divert attention from the issues," the Congress MP told reporters in Assam.
He further questioned the Assam government on the work which has been done in the last five years.
"What did you do in the name of development in Assam in five years? Answer this...Gaurav Ji also gave his opinion on it in detail. The people of Assam, the people of the country, know that they see their defeat in the upcoming elections. Therefore, such useless questions are being raised," he added.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has alleged that the wife of Congress' Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, Elizabeth Colbourn, has connections with the Pakistani government and George Soros' 'Open Society'.
He has demanded that Gogoi and his wife answer serious questions about their alleged links to the ISI and their involvement in taking young minds to the Pakistan High Commission for "brainwashing and radicalisation."
Gaurav Gogoi has termed all allegations against him as baseless, factless, slanderous.'
"The BJP government have no performance to show. They are unable to fulfil any of their promises and in order to hide their failures, they are embarking upon a mischievous, malicious, baseless, factless, slanderous campaign," Gogoi said.
Earlier today, the Congress party initiated legal action against the Assam CM. Himanta, on the other hand, has welcomed the probe against him.
"The Assam CM and the BJP have begun an atrocious smear campaign targeting my colleague Gaurav Gogoi. This is character assassination of the worst type. Legal action is being initiated right away," read an X post by Jairam Ramesh.
In reply to that, Sarma invited Gogoi to move the court at the earliest and that the government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings regarding the allegations.
Sarma's X post read, "Therefore, I also advise the concerned MP to move the court at earliest so that at the very least, this issue can be discussed on a judicial platform. I wholeheartedly welcome legal action against me. In fact, the Government of Assam is also initiating legal proceedings from today."