‘Worse than C-grade cinema’: Gaurav Gogoi rubbishes Himanta’s Pak links charge

Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday strongly rejected Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations linking him to Pakistan, describing the charges as “mindless and bogus” and the press conference in which they were made as “worse than C-grade cinema”.

Responding publicly to the Chief Minister’s claims, Gogoi said the press conference was a “super flop” and criticised what he described as an attempt to sensationalise unsubstantiated allegations.

“I pity the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to suffer the most flop press conference of the century. This was worse than a C-grade cinema. Most mindless and bogus points were offered by the so-called politically shrewd Chief Minister,” he said in a post on X.

Gogoi further sought to counter the allegations by referring to the Congress party’s ongoing political outreach in Assam. He claimed that the party’s campaign had been effective in highlighting alleged issues related to land holdings involving the Chief Minister and his family members. These claims, however, were not supported by any documentary evidence in his statement and were not independently verified.

The sharp exchange followed allegations made earlier by Mr. Sarma, who claimed that Gogoi, his wife Elizabeth, and a Pakistani national identified as Ali Tauqeer Sheikh shared a “deeper connection”. The Chief Minister alleged that sensitive information from the Intelligence Bureau had been secretly passed on to the neighbouring country.

Sarma also alleged that Gogoi had undertaken a “very confidential” visit to Pakistan in 2013 and was believed to have undergone “some kind of training” during that visit. No documentary proof or official confirmation was presented publicly alongside these allegations.

Gogoi has categorically denied all charges, maintaining that the allegations were politically motivated and intended to divert attention from substantive issues in the State. He did not address specific details of the claims regarding the alleged Pakistan visit but rejected the accusations in their entirety.

The exchange adds to the escalating political rhetoric between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in Assam and the Congress ahead of a politically charged period in the State, with both sides sharpening their attacks through public statements and social media.