Guwahati, March 31 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday escalated the attack on Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Gogoi on their alleged Pakistan links and accused the couple of secretly visiting the neighbouring nation.
He told reporters here, “When we visit any country, our passports get stamped. We have to declare that we have visited one specific country. However, Gaurav Gogoi and his wife hid the truth about visiting Pakistan, and they went there secretly. This has to be probed very seriously. Even the Indian cricket team is not allowed to visit Pakistan.”
Sarma also said that if the visit was with a delegation, it would have been a different thing. “Even I would be asked a question if I secretly visit any country,” he added. Earlier, Sarma had claimed that the state would witness a political storm by the month of September this year due to Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s alleged Pakistan links.
“SIT has found many inputs regarding links of a number of Indian individuals with Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. The SIT has also found multiple links of Ali Sheikh in India, and more revelations will come up in the next few days,” the Chief Minister said. He also said that the SIT was asked to complete the investigation by September this year.
“By September, many more things will be revealed. I assure you that the state will witness a political storm,” he said.
Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh has been named in an FIR by the Assam Police for his alleged role in destabilising communal harmony, and it is alleged that Ali Tauqeer Sheikh had links with Gaurav Gogoi’s wife, Elizabeth Gogoi, and the Congress MP’s wife allegedly travelled to Pakistan on Ali Sheikh’s invitation.
The SIT team questioned two staffers in the British High Commission to retrieve information about their links with Ali Sheikh. Ali Sheikh is under the lens for his purported role in seeking key information related to national security.
The SIT team has also questioned an environmental scientist in the case.
Sarma had said SIT has made progress in its initial investigation. He said, “The SIT has found significant evidence related to Ali Sheikh for his multiple visits to India and his controversial social media posts expressing immense interest in the politics of Assam. Sheikh visited India with a Pakistani delegation, including the Attorney General of that country.”
He said Ali Sheikh frequently visited India till 2018 and stayed in small hotels to avoid public attention. “We have been probing the entire ecosystem related to Ali Sheikh. If required, we will take the help of Interpol. We have also briefed the Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the developments,” he said.
A four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the alleged Pakistani links of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his wife Elizabeth Gogoi.
–IANS
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