Guwahati, May 17: In a dramatic development, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised serious concerns about the inclusion of a Congress MP in a high-level parliamentary delegation being sent abroad to counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism narratives.
Without naming anyone directly, Sarma claimed that one of the Congress-nominated MPs had spent two weeks in Pakistan in the recent past, and that credible documents showed his wife was drawing a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while living and working in India.
“In the interest of national security and beyond partisan politics, I urge the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, not to include this individual in such a sensitive and strategic assignment,” Sarma posted, triggering a storm of speculation and political debate.
Assam’s Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika went a step further, naming Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi in a post on X.. “I am shocked that you nominated MP @GauravGogoiAsm, whose infant kids are foreign citizens AND above all his foreign citizen wife worked in Pakistan, closely with the Pakistani leadership,” Hazarika wrote.
The controversy comes just a day after Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh confirmed that the party had responded to a request from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to nominate four MPs for a diplomatic assignment abroad.
The Congress named:
Anand Sharma, former Union Cabinet Minister
Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader, INC in Lok Sabha
Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, Rajya Sabha MP
Raja Brar, Lok Sabha MP
The MPs are part of a broader diplomatic initiative called Operation Sindoor, which aims to present India’s united stand on terrorism to global partners. Seven All-Party Delegations will travel to key countries, including UN Security Council members, later this month.
Each delegation will promote India’s national consensus on zero-tolerance towards terrorism and counter hostile narratives, especially those linked to Pakistan. Members of Parliament from various parties, senior political leaders, and experienced diplomats will be part of these teams.
The delegations will be led by:
Shashi Tharoor (INC)
Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP)
Sanjay Kumar Jha (JDU)
Baijayant Panda (BJP)
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi (DMK)
Supriya Sule (NCP)
Shrikant Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena)
Congress has yet to respond to the specific claims made by Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
