‘Deeply alarming’: Himanta Biswa Sarma flags Gaurav Gogoi’s wife’s alleged Pakistan connection

Sarma has repeatedly targeted Gogoi over alleged links between his wife and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday, alleged that Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s British wife, Elizabeth Colburn, was on the payroll of the Pakistan government, citing a recent statement made by senior Congress leader Ripun Bora.

Describing it as a “startling confession,” Sarma said Bora’s remarks had revealed previously unknown and “deeply alarming” details.

Taking to microblogging site X, he wrote, "Yesterday, senior Congress leader Sri Ripun Bora made a startling confession — he admitted that the British wife of Hon’ble MP Sri Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government".

He further wrote on his X post, "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".

Yesterday, senior Congress leader Sri Ripun Bora made a startling confession he admitted that the British wife of Honble MP Sri Gaurav Gogoi was, in fact, on the payroll of the Pakistan Government.If this is indeed true, it raises deeply alarming questions about national

Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 26, 2025

"We were not previously aware of these shocking details. Now that this revelation has come to light, the matter is being examined with the seriousness it demands. National security is non negotiable. We will record statement of Sri Bora and take further action in this matter," remarked Sarma on his post.

The BJP and Sarma have repeatedly targeted Gogoi over alleged links between his wife and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.

The latest controversy follows Sarma’s claim that Colburn had travelled between India and Pakistan 19 times.

Bora, a former Rajya Sabha MP and currently the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee President, had issued a press release on Sunday clarifying that Colburn works with an international NGO that operates in multiple countries, including Pakistan.

He confirmed she received a salary from the organisation, but cautioned against equating professional associations with questions of loyalty. “Can this be grounds to question one’s patriotism?” Bora asked, pointing out that Indians and Pakistanis work legally in each other’s countries.

Despite this clarification, Sarma said the presence of someone “linked to a hostile foreign state” in the inner circle of a sitting MP was “a serious and unacceptable threat to the integrity of India’s institutions.”

In response to Sarma’s earlier allegations, Gogoi had dismissed the claims as “ridiculous, baseless, insane and nonsense,” accusing the Chief Minister of acting like an “IT cell troll” and questioned his mental state amid personal issues at home.