After ‘flood jihad’ charge, Himanta Biswa Sarma questions Meghalaya university’s ‘Mecca’-like gate
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday continued his tirade against the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), saying the architecture of the building resembles ‘Mecca’, one of the holiest sites in Islam.
Days after accusing the university of waging what he called the “flood jihad”, Sarma said the institution was destroying education and the domed gate was a sign of ‘jihad’.
Earlier this month, Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed the construction work at the university for the flash floods in Guwahati. He said the university, situated in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, indulged in deforestation and cutting of hills, leading to the flash floods.
The university is being run by a foundation, which was started by a Bengali Muslim named Mahbubul Hoque. The latter is the chancellor of the university.
Referring to three domes atop the university’s main gate, Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed it resembled Mecca and Medina.
“It’s embarrassing to go there, you have to go under ‘Mecca’. What we are saying is that there should be a namghar (community prayer hall, part of Assam’s neo-Vaishnavite tradition) also there. ‘Mecca-Medina’, church. Make all three… They have kept a ‘Mecca’ there. Let them make a namghar, make a church. We will walk under all three, why will we walk under just one,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
He said the university administration was indulging in what he called the “father of jihad”.
Sarma drew parallels between his statements and those of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who had previously blamed Jorabat for the recurring floods in Guwahati.
“When I spoke about Meghalaya University of Science and Technology (USTM), everyone criticised me. But earlier, Tarun Gogoi had said that Jorabat is the main reason for floods in Guwahati,” he stated.
Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed the hills were cut towards Guwahati, not Meghalaya.
“Why did the hills cut towards Guwahati and not towards Meghalaya? Is this not flood jihad?” he said.
Last week, taking to X, Sarma posted satellite images of Meghalaya’s Greater Jorabat Hills and said, “After the recent flash floods in Guwahati, we have gone through satellite images of Meghalaya’s Greater Jorabat Hills, located 6-7 km from the city. The deforestation where USTM University is located is self-explanatory. But my concern is not just the area near USTM. Below is a time-lapse video of the destruction in other regions of the Greater Jorabat Hills in Meghalaya. It also explains how a cloud burst here leads to rapid floods in Guwahati, like the one recently. We will work with Meghalaya Govt to protect our shared habitats.”
Later, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi slammed Sarma for his remarks.
“Can someone stop the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa, from his jihad of repeated nonsense? It is simply an exaggerated cover-up for his failures and scams,” he wrote on X.