Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made serious allegations against the University of Science and Technology (USTM) in Meghalaya in a press conference on Friday. He said that this university has been built on forest land and information about this has been given to the Supreme Court. The Chief Minister even said that “it is difficult to say whether this university will exist even after two years or not.”
Den of commercialization in the name of education
Chief Minister Sarma also launched a scathing attack on the Chancellor of the University, Mahbubul Haque. He alleged that this institution has become a center of commercialization of education, not education. He said, “If this university was in Assam, I would have got it closed by now.” The Chief Minister also said that he prays that it should be demolished as soon as possible.
Many serious allegations have been leveled against Chancellor Mahbubul Haque
Mahbubul Haque, who is the Chancellor of USTM and head of ERD Foundation, was arrested in February this year. He was accused of promising high marks to the students by luring them to cheat in the examination. Apart from this, separate cases have been registered against Haque in several police stations, including Gosaigaon, Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Sonitpur.
Court granted bail, but controversy continues
The Guwahati High Court has granted bail to Mahbubul Haque in two cases registered in Sribhumi district, as well as relief from arrest in three other cases. However, he got bail in the Sonitpur case on March 24. But the controversy is not over yet. Chief Minister Sarma had earlier also accused Haque of “flood jihad”, saying that the water flowing from the university campus is a major reason for flooding in Guwahati.
USTM becomes the center of political and social controversies
Chancellor Haque had recently made a statement that he would take responsibility for the education of the children who were rendered homeless in the recent eviction drive. On this too, the Chief Minister took a sharp jibe and said that “this person tries to get into every issue.” Now it remains to be seen what action the Supreme Court and the Meghalaya government take on this issue.
