Assam chief minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma is locked in a face-off with the Opposition over an AI-generated video of him that allegedly shows the “targeted, point-blank murder of minorities”, as well as over allegations he levelled against Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi refuted the allegations and called CM Himanta Sarma's press conference 'super flop'. (ANI)While Sarma and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were under fire over the since-deleted AI video post, the Assam Chief Minister held a press conference and released documents alleging that Gogoi and his British wife have Pakistani “deep links”.

1. BJP's now-deleted social media post: The Assam unit of the BJP had posted a video on social media, featuring an AI-generated video of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma taking aim with a rifle and firing a shot at a photo of two individuals, both wearing a skull cap. The post was captioned: "point blank shot". The video also included a photo of Sarma with text, saying "Identity, land and roots come first; Why did you go to Pakistan; No forgiveness for Bangladeshis." The X post has since been deleted.

2. Abhorrent, disturbing: The Opposition strongly condemned the video posted by Assam BJP and alleged that it showed the "targeted point-blank murder of minorities". In a post on X, the Congress said that the video "appears to glorify the targeted, 'point-blank' murder of minorities. It is deeply abhorrent and disturbing and cannot be dismissed as random troll content. This amounts to a call to mass violence and genocide." Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said that this video cannot be ignored as troll content, adding that as "poison being spread from the very top", there must be consequences for this.

3. Gaurav Gogoi visited 'underwent training' in Pak: During a press conference in Guwahati, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma made explosive claims about Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and claimed that the opposition leader had visited Pakistan secretly in 2013 without informing authorities. He also suspected that Gogoi had undergone "some kind of training there", news agency PTI cited the CM as saying.

4. 'Gogoi tried to legitimise Pakistan': Recalling his trip to Singapore for an investment proposal for Assam, CM Sarma said that a photo of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi taking some youth to the Pakistan Embassy had gone viral. "Abdul Basit was the then High Commissioner of Pakistan to India. In a manner, he attempted to legitimise Pakistan. If you see this photo in the backdrop of the Kargil War, Captain Jintu Gogoi from Assam sacrificed himself for the nation. Several others sacrificed themselves to the nation." What initially seemed like a photoshopped picture turned out to be 'true' when Congress leaders started endorsing it, claimed Sarma.

5. Gogoi, his wife, Pak 'deep' links: Himanta Sarma alleged that when an elaborate search was run into Gaurav Gogoi, it was found that his wife, Elizabeth Colburn Gogoi, was working in Pakistan from March 2011 to March 2012. He claimed that the Congress leader's British wife was collecting information about India and sent those to Pakistan. The Assam CM further alleged that Elizabeth had been to Pakistan nine times while working in two Indian organisations.

6. Gogois and their link to Ali Tauqeer Sheikh: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma alleged that the Gogoi family is closely connected with a "Pakistani gentleman called Ali Tauqeer Sheikh". Sarma alleged that the three were part of an anti-India conspiracy. "We believe a deeper connection among Gaurav, his wife, and Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. We recommend a probe by a central agency," said Sarma. He further stated that a Pakistani firm hired Elizabeth, then transferred her to India, but her salary was "paid by Sheikh".

7. 'Worse than a C-grade cinema': Congress's Assam unit President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi refuted the allegations on Saturday, calling CM Himanta Sarma's press conference "worse than a C-grade cinema" and a "super flop" event. In a post on X, Gogoi said, "I pity the journalists from Delhi and Assam who had to suffer the most flop press conference of the century. This was worse than a C-grade cinema. Most mindless and bogus points offered by the so-called political shrewd Chief Minister. This Super Flop is in contrast to our Xomoy Parivartan Yatra, which has been a hit in uncovering the 12,000 bighas of land occupied by the Chief Minister and his family members."

8. 12,000 bighas land row: Gaurav Gogoi further said that the Congress's expose of the alleged 12,000-bigha land grab is the reason why CM Sarma is digging up old allegations of anti-national activities. "Earlier, I also said that this will flop; this is not a flop, it is a super flop. He (Sarma) intended to say this on September 10, but he fell asleep for 6 months afterwards. If it is important, what was he doing for the last 6 months? With the election approaching, we are disclosing the issue of their 12,000 bighas of land. By seeing the Samay Parivartan Yatra, people are coming out, and people want to see a new Bor Assam," Gogoi told reporters. The Congress leader said that CM Sarma has failed to convince even himself, let alone his BJP government.

9. CM Sarma has 'lost his mental balance': Congress leaders defended Gaurav Gogoi and slammed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, saying that he had "diminished" the dignity of the CM's office. "The CM appeared to have lost his mental balance and had no documentary evidence to support his claims. Politics is one thing, but making baseless allegations against a respected family at a personal level is extremely reprehensible," said Jitendra Singh, All India Congress Committee General Secretary (in-charge of Assam). Singh said that despite forming a special investigation team (SIT) and continuing its proceedings, the state government has been misleading the people of Assam through such pressers.

10. Why govt didn't act after 2014?: Former Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Ripun Bora also called Assam CM Himanta Sarma's press conference a "super flop". "I had said the SIT has no authority to investigate such matters. Today, the CM himself admitted that the SIT formed by the Assam government could investigate only about 20 per cent of the alleged Pakistan link due to limitations. By accepting his own incompetence, Sarma has now pushed the matter to the central government," he added. Bora further asked why, if the matter was so serious, the CM remained silent for six months after receiving the report and why the government did not do anything about Gogoi's Pakistan visit. "If Gogoi had travelled to Pakistan in 2013, and if the matter was so serious, why did neither the Modi government nor the investigating agencies act after 2014? Did it take 12 years to realise this?" he asked, adding that no one could be branded a 'Pakistani agent' without conclusive findings.

(with inputs from ANI, PTI)

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