Going to Pakistan is a crime, Himanta warned Gourav

way2barak May 5: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday warned Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of action for the latter’s alleged visit to Pakistan. He said going to Pakistan is a crime.

The BJP leader has been alleging that the Jorhat MP had visited the neighbouring country, and his wife “continues to receive a salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while residing and working in India.

“If we can arrest 40 persons who talked in support of Pakistan, then we can take action against Gaurav Gogoi for his Pakistan visit. Gaurav Gogoi is not God. Gaurav Gogoi should have answered whether he had visited Pakistan or not. Whether he changed his children’s citizenship by consulting with his children or made the decision himself. Why did his wife travel to Pakistan 19 times? If he doesn’t answer, then Himanta Biswa Sarma knows very well how to get the answer,” Sarma said.

“Gaurav Gogoi is not God to me. He is a criminal. In my view, going to Pakistan is a crime. There are no Kaziranga, Manas, or Orang (national parks) in Pakistan. Whose house in Pakistan did he go to? He will have to inform us. How do you find out the answer? The Assam government, Assam SIT, and Himanta Biswa Sarma know it well,” he added.

The Congress leader on Saturday slammed the chief minister for pursuing personal attacks rather than addressing the issues of children in Assam.

Gogoi asked if Sarma would resign if he proved that his child holds Indian citizenship.

“The Chief Minister is concerned about my children. That is his choice, his prerogative. I am concerned with the welfare of the children of Assam. Today, dropout rates are increasing. Children are being sold into slavery. The condition of government schools is deteriorating every day. Children are so impoverished that they are being forced into labour. I take responsibility for addressing these issues as a member of the Congress party,” Gogoi said.