ISI link row: BJP questions Gaurav Gogoi’s meeting with Pak envoy, Congress hits back

Guwahati, Feb 13: A fresh political storm has erupted as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demands clarification from Jorhat Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over his wife, Elizabeth Coleburn’s alleged links to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The controversy gained momentum on Thursday after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared a 2015 photograph of Gogoi with Pakistan’s then-High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit.

“Such a high-level interaction with the ambassador of an adversarial nation requires MEA approval and a post-meeting debriefing. Hope the Hon’ble MP complied with these requirements, as national security must always take precedence over politics,” Sarma posted on social media alongside the image.

Earlier in the day, Sarma claimed that in 2015, Gogoi—then a first-term MP—had met with the Pakistani envoy under the banner of his initiative, “Policy for Youth”, to discuss India-Pakistan relations.

The Chief Minister questioned why Gogoi engaged with Pakistani officials despite not being a member of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs at the time.

The BJP further alleged that the meeting took place even as India had officially protested against the Pakistani High Commission’s interference in internal affairs, particularly its links with the Hurriyat Conference.

“Ignoring these concerns, the MP took 50 to 60 young Indians to meet Pakistani officials,” Sarma wrote.

Responding to the allegations, Gogoi launched a counterattack on the BJP-led NDA government, accusing it of compromising national security for business interests.

“A parcel of land situated in an extremely sensitive zone on the India-Pakistan border was handed over to the Adani group overnight, bypassing regulations and ignoring concerns raised by armed forces experts. Such reckless prioritization of a single private entity over national security is a perilous betrayal,” Gogoi posted on social media, demanding a clarification from the Centre.

Earlier, he dismissed the allegations as a political vendetta aimed at him and his wife, Elizabeth Coleburn, calling it a repeat of similar claims made during the Lok Sabha elections. “These tactics are common before polls,” he added.

The controversy stems from BJP’s earlier claim that Coleburn had ties with the ISI while working with the Climate and Knowledge Development Network (CDKN) in Islamabad under Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a former advisor to Pakistan’s Planning Commission.

“Given the alleged links between his wife and ISI, it is necessary to scrutinise both his personal and political associations. These are grave concerns that cannot be ignored,” BJP spokesperson Kishor Upadhyay stated.

The war of words between BJP and Congress shows no signs of abating as both parties sharpen their attacks ahead of the Assembly polls in 2026.