Guwahati: Days after Assam Police registered a case against Pakistani national Ali Tauqeer Sheikh and others under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyan Samhita (BNS) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the initial investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has revealed "startling facts" that may impact state politics and is damaging for Congress.
"Ali Tauqueer Sheikh works for Climate Development and Knowledge Network (CDKN), which apparently is a climate action group but all his works are more to related to Assam and India's internal politics than climate. The SIT of Assam Police during its preliminary investigation revealed that he had visited India 18 times between 2011 to 2018," said Sarma while quoting SIT report.
"Now our investigation will bring to focus who had invited and accommodated him during those visits. The initial reports that I have received are very very damaging for the Congress party. The investigation has started revealing startling facts which I can't even imagine. As a responsible person I am telling this in the Assembly that the impact of this information on Assam politics will be huge," Sarma said while commenting on Ali Tauquuer Sheikh's visit.
I promise on the floor of @AssamAssembly that in 3 months, we will reveal startling facts on the Ali Sheikh- Hon'ble MP issue which will shock everyone in Assam. pic.twitter.com/V88FczLNSr
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 20, 2025
Although the Chief Minister did not divulge much about the revelation, he said, "I promise to the Assam Legislative Assembly that we will break this Ali Tuqueer network and will come back here in the month of August with facts which will be huge. I know the facts because informal facts are with me but it has to be on records. The facts will be huge, fatal and will shake all of us," he said.
The Assam Chief Minister said this while replying to the motion of thanks to the Governor's address in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Thursday.
"I believe sometimes we should not defend which is indefensible. In this case the findings are indefensible," said Sarma.
Replying to a question by Assam Opposition Leader, Debabrata Saikia, the Chief Minister said that although Assam Police have been initiating the inquiry at this moment, the case will be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA) as and when needed.
The name Ali Tauqueer Sheikh came to the spotlight after the Assam Chief Minister recently wrote on his X handle that Sheikh previously worked with Elizabeth Colburn, a British citizen and wife of Congress' Deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi.
The BJP in Assam has alleged that Elizabeth Gogoi has links with ISI, as she spent time in Pakistan while working with the CDKN, Asia, between 2011 and 2015. Although the Assam Police registered a case against Ali Tauqeer Sheikh there is, however, no charges framed against Elizabeth Gogoi so far.
"Elizabeth Colburn w/o Hon’ble MP worked under Ali Tauqeer Sheikh in the organization LEAD Pakistan, which operated under the guise of climate change initiatives. A closer examination of his works and articles reveals a deeper and more strategic involvement, particularly in Assam. The extent of this network is now emerging as far more significant and deeply entrenched than initially thought," wrote Assam Chief Minister on his X handle last week.
