Guwahati, Jan 27 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe allegations linked to Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi's connection to Pakistan will be made public on February 8 at 10:30 am.

Chief Minister Sarma said the decision was taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet, adding that the government was committed to ensuring transparency in the matter.

Sarma said the SIT report concerning Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan links would be placed in the public domain at the scheduled time.

The Chief Minister has, in recent weeks, repeatedly raised allegations linking Gogoi to Pakistan, triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Congress in Assam.

Sarma has alleged that certain statements and actions of the Congress leader raise serious questions that warrant public scrutiny, while asserting that the state government has nothing to hide in the investigation process. The controversy intensified after Sarma publicly claimed that Gogoi’s political positions and remarks reflected a mindset focused on Pakistan.

Responding to criticism from the Congress, the Chief Minister recently said that even while attacking him, the Assam Congress president could only cite Pakistan and its leaders as examples, which, according to Sarma, exposed where his political thinking was centred.

Gaurav Gogoi, on his part, has strongly denied all allegations, terming them politically motivated and aimed at deflecting attention from governance issues.

The Congress has accused the BJP of misusing state machinery to target opposition leaders and create a narrative ahead of crucial political battles. The SIT was constituted by the Assam government to examine the allegations and related aspects, a move that has drawn both support and criticism from different political quarters.

While the BJP has maintained that the probe is necessary in the interest of national security and public accountability, the Congress has questioned the timing and intent behind it.

Announcing the Cabinet decision, Sarma said making the SIT report public would allow people to judge the facts for themselves. He added that the government believes in placing all relevant information before citizens, reiterating that the truth would ultimately prevail once the report is disclosed on February 8.

--IANS

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