Congress Defends Gogoi Amid Sarma's ISI Allegations

The Congress accused Assam's CM Himanta Biswa Sarma of labeling MP Gaurav Gogoi as an ISI agent due to political rivalry. Sarma allegedly fears losing the 2026 elections if Gogoi becomes Congress' CM candidate. Congress dismissed the allegations, defending Gogoi and criticizing Sarma's tactics.

In a heated escalation of political tensions in Assam, the Congress party on Sunday fired back at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's claims that MP Gaurav Gogoi is an ISI agent. The Congress alleged that Sarma is attempting to undermine Gogoi due to fears of losing the 2026 assembly elections if Gogoi runs for Chief Minister.

Senior Congress leader Ripun Bora stated at a press conference that CM Sarma is threatened by Gogoi's rising popularity both within and outside Parliament. He suggested that Sarma's baseless allegations against Gogoi were a ploy to clear his path ahead of the next electoral challenge.

The controversy erupted as Sarma sought to scrutinize Gogoi's connections owing to his British wife's work in an international NGO with a presence in Pakistan. Congress countered these allegations, citing similar cases of cross-border connections among other Indian public figures, dismissing Sarma's claims as desperate political attacks.

(With inputs from agencies.)