'Gaurav Gogoi’s children not Indian citizens', claims Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday claimed that the Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's children are not Indian citizens.

Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "I have evidence that Gaurav Gogoi's son and daughter are not Indian citizens. We are examining what he did there (Pakistan) for 15 days. There is no tourism place in Pakistan; it is only a terrorist adda," while speaking to mediapersons as reported by news agency ANI.

"Gaurav Gogoi's son and daughter are not Indians. I have solid proof with me. The children still don't know that they are not Indians. Their parents have made it like that," the CM told reporters. As Gogoi's wife and two children are citizens of a foreign nation, there is a possibility of him leaving India and nobody will know it,Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed.

"Out of four members of the family, three are foreign nationals. He (Gogoi) is staying here as a tourist. His both children are minors and not Indian citizens. I will leave the CM's chair if he can say that his children are Indians. "What is their religion, it is a big question. He should inform us about that also. Why is his wife staying in India while drawing a salary from Pakistan?" asked the BJP leader.

It is 100 per cent confirmed that he went there, but what did he do there in 15 days? Robert Vadra and Gaurav Gogoi are more concerned about Pakistan than India." The exchange has added fuel to Assam's already tense political landscape, setting the stage for a closely contested election.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said only one Pakistani national stays in the state after being married to a citizen of Tinsukia district.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function , Sarma said the state government has already contacted the Centre seeking clarification of the foreign national's status on the backdrop of the recent development.

Following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead, the Centre has asked Pakistanis to leave India. "We have only one Pakistani citizen in Tinsukia district and she is married to a local person. She is the only Pakistani citizen in Assam and has applied for a long-term Visa.

"We have requested the Government of India to clarify whether she should be sent back or not," the CM said. Other than this case, there is no other Pakistani citizen in Assam, he added. After the April 22 terror strike, the Indian government announced some measures against Pakistan, which also retaliated with similar steps against India.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi earlier traded barbs on social media over the opposition leader's alleged links with Pakistan, and both politicians brought each other's families into the spat.

Sarma was the first to launch the tirade by posting three questions to Gogoi on X, which was retorted with a similar number of queries by the MP on the same platform.

Without naming anyone in his first post, Sarma asked a Congress MP whether he had stayed in Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days and if his wife gets salary from an NGO of the neighbouring country. "Questions for the Hon'ble Member of Parliament from the Congress Party: 1. Did you visit Pakistan for a continuous period of 15 days? If so, could you kindly clarify the purpose of your visit?" he asked. The CM also questioned whether it is true that the MP's wife "continues to receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India".

"If so, may we ask why a Pakistan-based organisation is paying a salary for activities conducted in India?" Sarma questioned. He also asked about the citizenship status of the parliamentarian's wife and two children.

"Are they Indian citizens, or do they hold the citizenship of any other country? Many more questions will follow," he added. Sharing Sarma’s post, Gogoi countered the allegations with three questions from his end.

“Questions for the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam: 1) Will you resign if you fail to prove your allegations against me and my wife being agents of an enemy country? 2) Will you take questions on your own children and wife?” the Congress MP asked. He also questioned whether the state police would arrest those “linked to coal mafia who are ravaging the hills of Assam and making crores of undeclared money”.

It was an apparent reference to Enforcement Directorate's findings that illegal rat hole quarrying was being ‘rampantly’ done in Meghalaya and a ‘syndicate’ with people from both states ensured that trucks containing illegal coal cleared the borders of Meghalaya and entered into Assam. Gogoi had posted on X about this matter on Saturday. “Waiting for the SIT report to be submitted,” Gogoi added to his post with the three questions, though he didn’t clarify which investigation he was referring to.

Responding to Gogoi’s post, Sarma said that he or his family had no connection with Pakistan and that ‘sufficient materials’ will be put in public domain in coming days to ‘expose’ the Congress MP’s links with the neighbouring nation. “I would like to clarify that neither I nor my son and daughter have ever visited Pakistan. Furthermore, my wife and our entire family would never even think of accepting any salary or financial support from Pakistan,” he said.

He asserted that all members of his family, including his wife, son and daughter, are Indian citizens and none of his children has ever surrendered or renounced Indian citizenship. Asking the opposition leader for his reply, Sarma added, “In the coming days, sufficient material will be placed in the public domain exposing the connections between the concerned Congress Member of Parliament and Pakistan. Wait for 10th September 2025.” Gogoi, retorting again through X, said none of his questions have been answered and repeated the same three queries.

At the end of the questions, he added, “Wait for 2026”, indicating Assembly elections due next year.

*With Agency Inputs