Guwahati, Feb 9: The political spat between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi escalated on Monday, with Sarma demanding a “transparent explanation” regarding Gogoi’s 2013 visit to the Rawalpindi district of Pakistan. The Chief Minister alleged that Gogoi’s visa was restricted to Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, raising questions about how he accessed a “high-security” district.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sarma asserted that under Pakistan’s immigration rules, travel beyond designated cities requires specific authorization. He highlighted that Takshashila (Taxila), which Gogoi admitted to visiting, is located in the Rawalpindi District rather than the Islamabad Capital Territory. Sarma further suggested that because Rawalpindi houses the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters, the visit might have been facilitated through “institutional arrangements” rather than standard civilian permissions.
Responding to the charges during a press conference, Gaurav Gogoi dismissed the Chief Minister’s claims as “mindless and bogus,” stating that Sarma was “floundering and sinking in his own web of lies.” Gogoi clarified that he accompanied his wife on a 10-day trip to Pakistan in December 2013 for her work-related purposes. He noted that Takshashila is a routine “day’s trip from Islamabad” and a significant archaeological site in Indian civilization.
Gogoi further pointed out that his original general passport, which contains all travel details and stamps from the visit, was submitted to the Government of India in 2014 when he applied for a diplomatic passport. “It lies with them and it contains all the details of my Pakistan visit,” the Congress MP asserted, suggesting the government already has the facts.
The controversy follows Sarma’s allegations on Sunday, where he claimed Gogoi and his family had “Pakistani links” and suggested a “deeper connection” involving a Pakistani national and the secret passing of intelligence. Gogoi has vehemently denied these claims, labeling the Chief Minister’s press briefings as “worse than C-grade cinema.”
As the verbal duel continues, the Chief Minister maintains that the lack of a specific visa endorsement for a restricted district like Rawalpindi remains a “legitimate and factual” question that warrants a clear response.
