Assam CM Sarma Orders Probe Into Links Between Gaurav Gogoi's British Wife And Pakistani Climate Policy Expert

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared on Sunday (16 February) that his Cabinet has instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to institute a case against a notable Pakistani climate policy expert.

This expert is accused of "explicit involvement" in "India's internal affairs" and has previously worked with Elizabeth Gogoi, the spouse of Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, Indian Express reported.

In the previous week, questions regarding Elizabeth's foreign citizenship have been raised by CM Sarma and some members of the BJP, who have also accused her of having connections with the ISI.

They further raised concerns about a meeting that Gaurav had with the Pakistani High Commissioner to India in 2015. Elizabeth Gogoi, who is a British citizen and works in the field of climate policy, had a tenure in Pakistan as part of her work with the Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), Asia, from 2011 to 2015.

On Sunday, Gaurav Gogoi asserted that he and his wife were being targeted by the BJP, keeping the upcoming Assam assembly elections in mind. He suggested that the spread of disinformation by them is an indication of the Assam BJP's weakness.

Sarma, following an Assam Cabinet meeting later in the day, instructed the DGP to file a case against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a Pakistani national. Sheikh served as the Director Asia of CDKN from 2009 to 2016 and is currently serving on the board of directors of the Loss and Damage Fund, which was established during COP29.

In addition to this, he is a climate change advisor at the World Bank, a member of the Green Financing task force of the Pakistan government, and a part of the Pakistan Climate Change Council.

Sarma alleged that a perusal of Sheikh's social media activity includes exhaustive commentary on India’s internal affairs and parliamentary matters raising serious concerns on the said individual’s intention to compromise and damage India’s interests.

Recently, Sarma along with other BJP leaders have drawn attention to various social media posts by Sheikh. These posts, made over the years, feature Sheikh's criticism of the Centre and the Assam government on numerous issues.

“Following a scrutiny of his social media activity and information available in the public domain, it appears that Mr Ali Sheikh has been in contact with Shrimati Elizabeth Gogoi, a British national and the wife of Honourable MP from Assam Gaurav Gogoi," Sarma said.

"Apart from his engagement with the government of Pakistan, Mr Ali Sheikh has founded LEAD Pakistan – a nonprofit organisation working in the field of climate change… Elizabeth Gogoi was an integral part of LEAD Pakistan during her time spent in Islamabad," he alleged.

"Further, both of them have been a part of a global climate action group called the CDKN, which operates both in India and Pakistan. The Assam government notes with concern the explicit involvement of a Pakistan-based leader and other actors of a climate action group in matters concerning India’s internal affairs, thereby raising serious questions on its actual intent and operations," the CM stated.

Referring to Elizabeth, Sarma said, “We hope that as a wife of an Assam MP, even if she is a British citizen, she will cooperate in this inquiry, assist us, share her passport, visa and travel documents with us.”

Additionally, he leveled accusations at her for breaching visa terms by previously campaigning for Gaurav in the Lok Sabha elections from the Kaliabor district.

Gaurav Gogoi has yet to respond to the comments made by Sarma on Sunday evening. However, earlier in the day, he expressed that the Chief Minister and the BJP were behaving in a manner indicative of fear.

“I was aware that they were worried about me after the Jorhat Lok Sabha elections… The disinformation they are spreading now proves the weakness of the Assam BJP. Maybe the Chief Minister is worried about the changes within their organisational structure," Gogoi said referring to BJP's loss in Jharkhand where Sarma was election co-in-charge.