A group of imminent Muslims has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter of arrest of Dr Mahbubul Hoque, founder Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya, by the Assam government.

Accusing the Assam government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma of (USTM) of vendetta against Mahbubul Haque, they said he has been “unfairly targeted”.

The signatories to the letter include S.Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Najeeb Jung, former VC of Jamia Millia Islamia, Lt Gen (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah, former VC, AMU, Saeed Mustafa Shervani, Industrialist and Shahid Siddiqui, former Member of Parliament.

The letter is written under the banner of Citizens for Fraternity (ICFF). These civil society members earlier held several rounds of talks with the RSS top leadership to bridge the gap between Hindus and Muslims and address the misgivings the two communities have about each other.

The letter says, “The University and Dr. Mahbubul Hoque had been in cross wires of the Govt of Assam, who accused it of ‘Flood Jihad’ in Guwahati and publicly declared the graduates of the USTM would not be given employment in Assam.

“The attacks became more intense after USTM established a Medical College in 2024. The result has been that admissions have dropped.”\

Dr Mahbubul Hoque, Founder and Chancellor of the USTM, Meghalaya

Dr Mahbubul Hoque was arrested in the wee hours on 22 Feb, from his Guwahati home by the Assam Police.

The letter alleges that dr Mahbubul Hoque was arrested without an initial charge sheet or arrest warrant. He has been sent to judicial custody and is lodged in Karim Gunj Jail, about 300 km from Guwahati. His four-day custody was extended by another four days on February 25.

Police have accused him of “encouraging mass cheating in Class 12 exam.”

The letter says, “The timing of the arrest, on a Saturday morning, when judicial redress is difficult, clearly smacks of a vendetta by the Govt of Assam against USTM and its founder.

They said Dr Mahbubul Hoque’s arrest amounts to harassment of a “respected, nonpolitical citizen, and his prolonged incarceration is aimed at demoralizing a section of progressive members of society.”

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The letter speaks about Dr Mahbubul Hoque’s singular efforts to establish the first private university in the Northeast. Besides, he is also trying to set up the first private medical college in the region.