Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday alleged that senior Congress leader Ripun Bora has confessed that his party MP Gaurav Gogoi’s British wife had been “on the payroll of the Pakistan Government”, adding it raises alarming questions about national security.
In a post on X, CM Sarma wrote, “Yesterday, senior Congress leader Ripun Bora made a startling confession. He admitted that the British wife of MP Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government.”
“If this is indeed true, it raises deeply alarming questions about national security. The continued presence of an individual linked to a hostile foreign state, right within the inner circles of a sitting Member of Parliament, poses a serious and unacceptable threat to the integrity of India’s institutions,” the Assam CM said.
He further stated that “national security is non-negotiable”, adding that the statement of Bora will be recorded in this regard.
The Assam CM’s fresh attack on Gogoi came a day after Ripun Bora accused him of running a smear campaign against Gogoi out of fear that the latter will replace him as Assam CM in 2026.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Bora said, “Himanta Biswa Sarma is sure that he will lose the election if Congress announces Gaurav Gogoi as the CM face. Sarma has already considered Gogoi as his contender because of the latter’s acceptance throughout the state.”
Referring to Gogoi’s victory in the Jorhat Lok Sabha seat in 2024 despite a high-voltage campaign by the BJP, Bora said the win had boosted the Congress MP’s stature.
“The Assam CM is trying to establish Gogoi as an ISI agent only to clear his way for 2026. However, nobody is taking him seriously as he has not furnished any evidence in support of his claims,” he said.
He further clarified that Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, works for an international NGO with a presence in Pakistan and other countries. “She might have visited Pakistan or gotten a salary for her work, what’s the problem with that? Likewise, many Pakistani people are working in India legally,” he said.
The Congress leader highlighted the foreign nationality of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s wife, who is a Japanese citizen. “Does it mean that we should doubt Jaishankar’s patriotism?” he asked.
He also cited the example of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s son, who, Bora claimed, has professional engagements linked to Pakistan.
“If the Indian government does not have any issue for any of the points raised against Gogoi, then why has Sarma become so restless? These are nothing but illogical,” he added.