The matter has gained traction.
Elizabeth Gogoi: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised questions about Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s meeting with the then High Commissioner of Pakistan in India 10 years ago, linking it to his wife Elizabeth Gogoi. The matter gained traction after Biswa Sarma questioned Gogoi and his British-origin wife Elizabeth Colburn. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reiterated these allegations on Friday, February 14. The BJP alleged that Congress has ties with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI and an undisclosed agreement with China.
Biswa Sarma posted on X: “In 2015, the Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Mr. Abdul Basit, invited a first-term Member of Parliament (MP) and his startup, Policy for Youth, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Notably, this MP was not a member of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs at the time, raising questions about the intent behind his engagement. This visit occurred despite India’s official protest against the Pakistani High Commission’s interference in internal matters, particularly its involvement with the Hurriyat Conference. Ignoring these concerns, the MP took 50 to 60 young Indians to meet Pakistani officials.
Soon after, his startup published an article in The Hindu criticizing the Border Security Force’s handling of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. A closer examination of his parliamentary questions revealed a growing focus on sensitive defense matters, including inquiries about Coast Guard radar installations, India’s arms factories, aeronautical defense, transit routes for trade with Iran, Kashmiri students, and alleged attacks on churches—marking a noticeable shift in his areas of interest.
Interestingly, these developments occurred immediately after his marriage to a British citizen with a professional background that raises further questions. Before their marriage, she had worked for an American senator known for close ties with the Pakistani establishment and later spent time in Pakistan, employed by an organization widely believed to be a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The timing of these events adds another layer of intrigue to the MP’s evolving political stance and actions.”
In 2015, the Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Mr. Abdul Basit, invited a first-term Member of Parliament (MP) and his startup, Policy for Youth, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Notably, this MP was not a member of the…
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 13, 2025
Elizabeth had worked in Pakistan. According to a report by the Indian Express, CM Biswa Sarma continued to target Elizabeth, stating, “In the past, she had spent some time in Pakistan, where she worked for an organization widely believed to be a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).”
Biswa Sarma and other BJP leaders have launched a campaign against Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth regarding her foreign citizenship and her past work in Pakistan. In fact, when Gaurav Gogoi met the Pakistani High Commissioner, he was not even a member of the Parliament’s foreign affairs committee at that time. He neither informed anyone about this meeting nor sought permission from anyone. The BJP raised questions about Gaurav Gogoi’s wife Elizabeth not taking Indian citizenship even eight years after their marriage.
Who is Elizabeth Gogoi?
Elizabeth was born in Britain. Her full name was Elizabeth Colburn. She has a master’s degree in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and married Gaurav Gogoi in 2013. In the past, Elizabeth worked for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), which the BJP is targeting her for. According to her profile on the CDKN website, she wrote her last article in 2014. It also states that she coordinated CDKN’s programmes in India and Nepal.
Elizabeth joined CDKN in March 2011 with a background in climate change and development policy-making and research, as stated on the website. This included working on the 2009 European Union climate change package in the European Parliament and working as a researcher at the Overseas Development Institute considering EU development cooperation. She also has experience working for the U.S. Senate, the United Nations Secretariat, and NGOs in Tanzania and South Africa. She married Gaurav Gogoi in a ceremony in New Delhi in 2013.
Enmity between Sarma and Gogoi
The roots of the bitterness between Gaurav Gogoi and Biswa Sarma run deep. Himanta Biswa Sarma was previously in Congress. At that time, he was one of the close associates of Gaurav Gogoi’s father and former Chief Minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi. In 2023, Gaurav Gogoi alleged that CM Biswa Sarma used his influence to secure approval for a grant of 10 crore rupees under a central government scheme for a media company run by his wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma. Following this, Riniki filed a defamation lawsuit against Gaurav Gogoi for 10 crore rupees.
