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In a sharp rebuttal, Gogoi shared a screenshot of Prime Minister Modi’s message from the same date — August 29, 2022 — in which the PM had also offered condolences to Pakistan.
File Photos: ANI
A fierce war of words has erupted in Assam’s political arena, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi pushing back hard against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations of “anti-national conduct,” by invoking none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own humanitarian message to Pakistan during the 2022 floods.
At the heart of the row is a resurfaced social media post by Gogoi from August 2022, where the Jorhat MP expressed condolences for the victims of unprecedented floods in Pakistan — a statement now being used by the BJP as proof of his alleged “misplaced loyalty.”
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Gogoi’s original post read: “While we celebrate the victory of our Indian cricket team over Pakistan, we must not forget the humanitarian disaster that has claimed 1000 lives in our neighbouring country… Pakistani people need urgent relief and support.”
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The controversy was reignited when Assam Information Minister Pijush Hazarika resurfaced the post, slamming Gogoi for “repeatedly positioning himself closer to Pakistan than to patriotic sentiments.”
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma doubled down, saying some “individuals enjoy every privilege India offers — salary, power, and position — yet their loyalty lies across the border.”
In a sharp rebuttal, Gogoi shared a screenshot of Prime Minister Modi’s message from the same date — August 29, 2022 — in which the PM had also offered condolences to Pakistan.
Modi had written: “Saddened to see the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan… We extend our heartfelt condolences… and hope for an early restoration of normalcy.”
Gogoi responded with a scathing comment on social media:
“I am worried about the Chief Minister of Assam. In his desperation, he is calling the position taken by PM Modi in 2022 a betrayal. Is he the right person for the chair of Chief Minister?”
Not backing down, Sarma launched fresh accusations, without naming Gogoi directly, alleging that a “Member of Parliament from Assam” had ties with Pakistan — claiming the MP made visits to Pakistan with the approval of its Interior Ministry, drew funds from “Pakistani-backed NGOs,” and even surrendered their minor child’s Indian passport.
“The nation will not tolerate betrayal,” Sarma posted on X, adding fuel to the already raging controversy.
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