Pakistan visit may expose Gaurav Gogoi to blackmail risk, claims Assam CM

Guwahati, Feb 8: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Sunday, alleged that Pakistan may have digitally recorded every aspect of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s 2013 visit to the neighbouring country, warning that such material could be used for blackmail if Gogoi were to assume higher constitutional or executive office in the future.

Addressing a press conference at Lok Sewa Bhawan to disclose findings of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into Gogoi’s alleged links with Pakistan, Sarma claimed it was standard practice for an “enemy nation” to maintain detailed surveillance records of visitors, particularly political figures.

He said Pakistan would have documented who Gogoi met, where he travelled, and what he did during his stay.

“When you visit an enemy country, every movement is recorded - who you met, where you stayed, what conversations took place. Pakistan would have created digital records, including videos. The danger is not just today, but tomorrow,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister argued that such material could become a tool to coerce Gogoi if he were to rise to a position of greater political power.

“If tomorrow Gaurav Gogoi becomes a Chief Minister or occupies an even more important post, what happens when such records are brought out? Won’t he be vulnerable to blackmail? Won’t there be pressure to act in a certain way?” Sarma asked.

Sarma described Gogoi as being in a “highly vulnerable position” following the public disclosure of the SIT’s findings.

“After today’s revelations, he is the most vulnerable politician. Whether he realises it or not, the risk exists,” the Chief Minister said.

Raising further doubts, Sarma suggested that Gogoi himself may not be fully aware of the identities or affiliations of individuals he interacted with during the visit.

“It is possible that he does not even know who he met. But that does not reduce the risk. Pakistan would know, and Pakistan would have kept records,” Sarma said.

According to the Chief Minister, such records could resurface years later through media channels or indirect pressure tactics. “At a critical moment, these materials could be shown to the media or used privately to influence decisions,” he warned.

Sarma also linked Gogoi’s Pakistan visit to the nature of questions he raised in Parliament after returning to India, questioning why a newly elected MP would seek details related to defence preparedness, military capabilities, and strategic deployments.

“If there was no pressure, no vulnerability, why were such sensitive defence-related questions asked? These are legitimate issues for national security agencies to examine,” he said.

The Chief Minister emphasised that his remarks were not driven by political rivalry but by national security concerns.

“This is not about party politics. This is about safeguarding the country from any form of external leverage over our political leadership,” Sarma said.

He reiterated that the Assam government has decided to hand over the related findings to the Ministry of Home Affairs, citing the state’s limited jurisdiction in probing foreign intelligence practices and cross-border surveillance.

Sarma maintained that transparency was essential to dispel doubts. “If there is nothing to hide, everything should be placed in the public domain,” he said, adding that clarity on the Pakistan visit was necessary to “close the chapter once and for all”.