From Our Special Correspondent
GUWAHATI, Jan 25: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday resumed his tirade against University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), alleging that funds brought in under the name of Chancellor Mahbubul Hoque were initially sourced from an organisation linked to terror outfit, Al-Qaeda.
“We have complete information and evidence in this regard, which is why I am reiterating that we should stop patronising USTM,” Sarma said, without elaborating further.
“I have been warning the people of Assam that USTM is a hub of fraud and deception,” he said, warning students and parents in the state against pursuing education in the university located in Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya.
Sarma’s fresh salvo comes in response to a media query in the wake of the arrest of a woman from Assam on Saturday, allegedly associated with the institution, on charges of impersonation of a foreign diplomat and misuse of forged embassy number plates in New Delhi.
The chief minister said the institution apparently wanted to distance itself from the arrested woman, as her name was abruptly removed from USTM’s official website after she was arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday in a case of impersonation and forgery.
Sarma said he had earlier urged people of the state to “stop patronising USTM”, claiming that the arrest of the person linked to USTM further vindicated his stand, also sparking political reactions and intensified scrutiny of the institution.
Urging people of the state to “stop patronising USTM”, the chief minister further pointed out that several cases, involving alleged fake certificates, are pending against the institution and Hoque.
Speaking to media persons, he pointed out the institution has been involved in cases related to the fake Other Backward Classes (OBC) and medical certificates, besides alleged malpractices in medical admissions. “So, such certificates obtained from the institution over three to four years could potentially at once lose validity in case there is legal action,” Sarma said.
