Assam chief minister intensifies attack on Muslim-owned university

Guwahati: In his continued tirade against privately owned the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM), Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his government was looking to bring in provision to restrict students who graduate from the varsity from appearing for posts advertised by the Assam government.

The USTM is a top 200 university under the NIRF, run by a foundation owned by Mr Mahbubul Hoque – a Bengali-Muslim from Assam – who is also the Chancellor of the varsity.

Mr Hoque has been at the receiving end of the continuous attack of Assam chief minister who accused him of causing flash-floods in Guwahati by cutting the hills for construction of USTM campus. He also accused that the architecture of the university’s main gate, which has three domes, is a sign of “jihad”.

Mr Sarma told reporters, “Now we are having another discussion that students who have passed from USTM cannot be eligible for the posts advertised by the Assam government. It’s a certificate from another state. Our students from Guwahati and Dibrugarh University are suffering because of this. That’s why I have asked the legal department to examine this – that if students from USTM want a job in Assam, they will have to give another exam to qualify. Not just USTM but from West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, all outside universities. But my anger against USTM is a little more. Because they are responsible for flood in Guwahati.”

Mr Sarma also informed that he was also holding discussion with Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma over concerns about rainwater run-off from Meghalaya contributing to Guwahati floods.

“We have roped in a Netherlands committee to work on diverting the water to Deepor Beel (lake). Along with that, IIT Roorkee and IIT Guwahati will also be engaged… Mr Conrad Sangma has given importance to the matter of water coming down from Jorabat and has proposed a joint committee between Assam and Meghalaya governments… He has also not denied… Even though many political leaders from Assam set out to defend USTM, Meghalaya government is not saving USTM,” he said.

When a reporter from a regional news portal asked Mr Sarma about hills allegedly being cut in Mandakata in chief minister’s Jalukbari constituency, Mr Sarma said, “Why are you equating USTM and Mandakata?… Why are you all trying so hard to defend USTM?”

Mr Sarma asked the reporter his name, and when he introduced himself as Mr Shah Alam, Mr Sarma said, “You people Shah Alam and USTM’s Mohbubul Hoque… the way you all have connected things, will we even survive?… I would like to ask Shah Alam if we’ll even survive in Assam for long?”