Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched a fresh political broadside against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi, hinting at a close association between him and event manager Shyamkanu Mahanta, and alleging that the two share a deep political connection.
Addressing reporters in Guwahati, Sarma described Gogoi and Mahanta as “bundiya-bhujiya,” a colloquial Assamese term implying an inseparable friendship. He urged the public to revisit Mahanta’s Facebook posts during the Jorhat elections to better understand the nature of their relationship.
The remarks come as Mahanta remains under investigation by the CID and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in connection with alleged financial irregularities tied to the North East India Festival, as well as his suspected involvement in the mysterious death of singer-actor Zubeen Garg in Singapore on September 19.
The SIT has already arrested both Mahanta and Zubeen’s manager, Siddharth Sharma, and a judicial inquiry into the singer’s death is currently underway.
Sarma also announced that a case would be registered against Gaurav Gogoi for what he termed “provocative and insensitive remarks” concerning Assamese identity.
The Chief Minister claimed that Gogoi’s comments following Zubeen’s death — including his alleged statement that “people outside the state burn shops when artists like Zubeen die” — were inflammatory and deeply hurt public sentiment.
“There will be a case… an omnibus case will be registered against all those who have tried to politicize Zubeen’s death for personal gain. Gaurav Gogoi will be questioned. Just as we filed cases during the CAA protests, we will take similar action against those who created panic at the airport and Sarusajai Stadium. No one will be spared,” Sarma asserted.
He also took a personal dig at the Congress leader, saying, “What justice will Gaurav Gogoi deliver to Zubeen? Zubeen was an Indian national, but Gaurav Gogoi’s two children are foreign nationals. To this day, he has not applied for Indian nationality for them.”
Escalating the matter further, Sarma referred to the ongoing SIT probe into Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged links to Pakistan, claiming that the investigation had revealed “startling and damaging” findings.
The Chief Minister said the SIT, constituted in February to investigate cross-border operations involving Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, had submitted its report to the government on September 10.
“The report contains damning and damaging revelations. It has been discussed in the Cabinet, and we will release a summary soon. However, since it contains sensitive information, we will not disclose the entire document,” he said.
Sarma alleged that the SIT had uncovered links between Gogoi’s wife, British national Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, and individuals associated with Pakistan’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The investigation indicates that Pakistan’s Home Ministry facilitated a visit connected to Gaurav Gogoi’s circle. This is not speculation — it’s part of the SIT findings,” he said, adding that the Assam government plans to make portions of the report public in Delhi.