Guwahati, March 12: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday strongly criticised the Assam government’s reported decision to remove the name of former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed from the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta, calling the move an insult to a distinguished Assamese personality and freedom fighter.
In a statement posted on social media, Gogoi said the decision “undermines the legacy of one of Assam’s most prominent figures” and described the action as “extremely unfortunate and deeply hurtful to the sentiments of the people of Assam.”
Gogoi highlighted Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s place in Assam’s history, noting that Ahmed was a respected freedom fighter and the first Assamese to serve as President of India, and called the renaming “a grave insult.”
Questioning the rationale behind the change, Gogoi asked, “…What could be the justification for removing his name from Barpeta Medical College, which was named in honor of such a respected son of Assam? Or is this yet another attempt by the Chief Minister to pursue communal politics and create religious polarization for vote-bank interests by removing the name of the late former President?…,” his post read.
He urged the state government to reconsider and retain Ahmed’s name at the Barpeta institution, stressing that honouring contributions of Assam’s notable figures and preserving their legacy is “the responsibility and duty of every citizen of the state.”
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as India’s fifth President from 1974 until his death in 1977 and is remembered for representing Assam at the country’s highest constitutional office.
Earlier on Wednesday, March 11, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended the state cabinet’s decision to rename the college, saying it was taken to maintain uniformity in the naming pattern of government medical colleges across Assam. Sarma noted that most state-run medical colleges are named after their geographical locations and that the Barpeta institution was being brought in line with that convention.
The report carries inputs from IANS.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/barpeta-medical-college-renaming-row-gaurav-slams-move-questions-cms-intent-1609372
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-03-12 18:18:00
