GUWAHATI, March 6: BJP MLA from Lakhimpur Manab Deka has challenged Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi to respond to the allegations related to national security instead of engaging in “misleading” propaganda on the recently-concluded Advantage Assam-2 summit here.
“Despite multiple reports linking him and his wife to anti-India activities, he has failed to provide any clarification to the people of Assam and the country,” the MLA stated on Thursday.
Deka pointed out that while Gaurav Gogoi has always been vocal on every issue, he has remained conspicuously silent in regard to his wife Elizabeth’s repeated visits to Pakistan and his alleged connections with anti-India elements like Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, who is a Pakistani national.
“Gogoi’s failure to respond exposes his irresponsibility towards the nation. As the son of a royal family, does he believe he is above answering the concerns of ordinary citizens? His evasion only strengthens suspicions of his involvement in anti-national activities,” the legislator said.
The Assam Cabinet had last month directed the director-general of police of the state to register a case against the Ali Tauqeer Sheikh under appropriate provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and other relevant laws. Subsequently, a special investigation team (SIT) of Assam Police had registered a case against Sheikh
The state Cabinet’s directive came in the wake of Sheikh’s alleged links with Elizabeth Gogoi, wife of Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi, who has allegedly retained her British citizenship.
The Cabinet had taken a resolution in this regard, given the broader national security implications of the issue, particularly in Assam.
Further, taking a dig at Gogoi’s recent statements on Advantage Assam 2.0, Deka said he was shocked to see a distorted map of India in a video shared by the Congress MP.
“Does Gaurav Gogoi not consider Kashmir a part of India? At whose behest is he trying to portray Kashmir as a part of Pakistan? Or was he forced to use this distorted map under his wife’s influence? The people of Assam demand an answer,” Deka stated.
He also reminded Gogoi that private sector investments in India have doubled in the last ten years compared to Congress rule.