Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday accused the Meghalaya University of Science and Technology (USTM) of conspiring to undermine Assam’s education system. Defending his previous comments about the university, Sarma drew parallels with former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s assertion that Jorabat was responsible for Guwahati’s recurring floods.
Sarma claimed the Congress party, including Tarun Gogoi’s son Gaurav Gogoi, had criticized him for mentioning USTM. Questioning the geographical factors contributing to floods, he asked why the hills sloped towards Guwahati instead of Meghalaya, calling it a “flood jihad.”
The Chief Minister alleged a larger conspiracy to weaken Assam’s education system. This follows his Friday statement accusing USTM of waging a “flood jihad” by removing hills to build structures, contributing to Guwahati’s waterlogging.
Sarma shared satellite images on X, showing deforestation around USTM in Meghalaya’s Greater Jorabat Hills. He linked this to recent flash floods in Guwahati and pledged to collaborate with the Meghalaya government to protect shared habitats.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized Sarma on X, calling his statements “nonsense” and a cover-up for failures and scams.
On August 7, Sarma had blamed USTM for exacerbating Guwahati’s flooding due to its construction on a hill. He announced plans to discuss the issue with the Meghalaya Chief Minister.