Guwahati, Feb 8 Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Sunday dismissed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s allegations of his Pakistani connections as "completely baseless and absurd."
Gogoi described the press conference, where Sarma made the allegations, as "worse than a C-grade movie," which was a "complete failure."
"I feel sorry for the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to endure the worst press conference of the century. This was worse than a C-grade movie. Sarma made completely baseless and absurd claims," he said in a post on X.
"This #SuperFlop is in contrast to our #XomoyParivartanYatra, which has been successful in uncovering the 12,000 bighas of land occupied by the Chief Minister and his family," he claimed.
In another post, Gogoi said Sarma has "embarrassed himself" in front of the media, adding, "After the 2.5-hour press conference, even the journalists in the room remained unconvinced."
Gogoi, the Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, maintained that "nobody in Assam is taking his words seriously."
"He should rather explain how his family managed to acquire 12,000 bighas or 4,000 acres of prime property across Assam. When we come to power, we will take those lands and distribute them among the poor and landless," he added.
Sarma alleged that Gogoi, his wife Elizabeth Colburn, and a Pakistani national, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, have a "deeper connection," and that information from the Intelligence Bureau was secretly provided to the neighbouring nation.
The CM also alleged that Gogoi undertook a "very confidential" visit to Pakistan in 2013 and is believed to have undergone "some kind of training" there.
Speaking to reporters in Mangaldai later, Gogoi said, "For nearly two-and-a-half hours today, the CM made every possible effort to sell his failed movie to the public. Even after all that time, he failed to convince the journalists present in the press conference hall."
He asserted that by listening to the questions asked by journalists, especially those who had come all the way from Delhi, it became clear how weak Sarma's narrative was.
"Forget the evidence, he could not even respond properly to their questions. I had earlier said that this film would flop. I was slightly wrong – it is not a flop, it is a super flop," Gogoi said.
Though Sarma had promised to make all the allegations public by September 10 last year, it took him so many months to finally say what he wanted to, he added.
"If the matter was so serious, what was he doing for six months? Why did the file remain buried all this time? Now that elections are approaching, and after we exposed the issue of 12,000 bighas of land, and as people are coming out in large numbers in support of the 'Paribartan Yatra', the CM has suddenly chosen to screen his long-delayed flop film," Gogoi said.
Sarma has failed to convince even himself, let alone his government, the Congress leader claimed.
"I urge CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to learn to respect the political wisdom and awareness of the people of Assam. The people understand everything. They know that the issue of 12,000 bighas of land is real, while his claims are nothing but a flop film and a flop drama," he added.
Gogoi claimed that he possesses concrete documentary evidence regarding the alleged 12,000 bighas of land linked to the chief minister and his family.
"We can disclose all details, including names. People themselves are uploading information on the 'Who Is Himanta Biswa Sarma' website. Today's two-and-a-half-hour press conference made one thing clear – the chief minister has no information at all," he added.