Assam CM targets Gaurav Gogoi over children's British citizenship

Guwahati, Feb 8 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched a fresh political attack on Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi over the British citizenship of his two children, saying the issue raised serious questions about the personal choices made by a public representative.

Talking to IANS, CM Sarma drew a comparison with senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, noting that despite her Italian origin, she did not insist that her children acquire Italian citizenship.

“Even Sonia Gandhi never insisted that her son and daughter take Italian citizenship. But here, the Jorhat MP ensured that both his children became British citizens,” the Chief Minister said.

Sarma alleged that the decision reflected a deeper mindset and could not be brushed aside as a private matter when it involved a sitting Member of Parliament. He claimed that Gogoi had voluntarily surrendered the Indian citizenship of one of his children, a move which, according to him, warranted public scrutiny.

“This is not about personal attacks. When you are a Member of Parliament, your actions and choices are subject to public debate,” Sarma said, adding that issues related to citizenship assume greater significance in a country like India, particularly when national security concerns are under discussion.

The Chief Minister further alleged that there were inconsistencies in public statements made earlier on the citizenship status of Gogoi’s children, and said these issues had emerged during the course of an ongoing probe into alleged foreign links involving the Congress MP’s family.

Sarma also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi must take action against Gaurav Gogoi, claiming that the deputy leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha had surrendered the citizenship of his children.

The Chief Minister on Sunday also raised serious allegations that Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi, who had visited Pakistan, went digitally silent for at least 10 days, while the interior ministry of Pakistan also changed the visa permissions of the Congress leader.

Sarma said, “When Gaurav Gogoi went to Pakistan for a visit in 2013, his permission to visit certain cities was changed by Pakistan’s interior ministry, and the Congress MP went absolutely silent on digital platforms. This raises several questions about his activities during that period.”

According to the Chief Minister, Gogoi might have undergone some “training” sessions while he was staying in Islamabad for 10 days.

“The person changed completely after those 10 days of silence. It was December 2013 when Gogoi visited Pakistan, and he became a Lok Sabha MP in 2014. Once he entered Parliament, he started asking sensitive questions related to national security, and this sequence of events strengthens my doubt that the Congress leader was brainwashed by Pakistan’s intelligence agencies during the visit,” the CM said.