Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 17 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday attacked Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi over his alleged visit to Pakistan and urged Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi not to include Gogoi's name in such a 'sensitive and strategic assignment.'

'One of the MPs named in the list ( from Assam ) has not denied his prolonged stay in Pakistan--reportedly for two weeks--and credible documents show that his wife was drawing salary from a Pakistan-based NGO while working in India,' Assam CM posted on X.

'In the interest of national security and beyond partisan politics, I urge leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi not to include this individual in such a sensitive and strategic assignment,' he added.

This comes after Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh shared the names of four MPs, including Gaurav Gogoi, for the government's proposed delegations to foreign countries to explain India's stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

On May 5, Assam CM hit out at Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and questioned the latter on whether he had toured Pakistan or not.

Earlier today, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Indian National Congress (INC) has submitted names of four MPs for the government's proposed delegations to foreign countries to explain India's stance on terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh said, 'Yesterday morning, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, spoke with the Congress President and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The INC was asked to submit names of 4 MPs for the delegations to be sent abroad to explain India's stance on terrorism from Pakistan.'

He added, 'By noon yesterday, May 16th, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote to the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs giving the following names on behalf of the INC: Anand Sharma, former Union Cabinet Minister; Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader, INC in Lok Sabha; Dr. Syed Naseer Hussain, MP, Rajya Sabha; and Raja Brar, MP, Lok Sabha.

Curiously, the name of Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor is missing from the list that Jairam Ramesh says the Congress submitted to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, named Tharoor in the list of 7 MPs who would represent India at world forums where they would brief world leaders on Operation Sindoor.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. India's precision strikes in Pakistan and PoJK on May 7 killed over 100 terrorists. (ANI)