The Assam cabinet decided to rename Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta to Barpeta Medical College and Hospital, saying most state medical colleges are named after their locations.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the previous name created confusion among people who thought it was a private institution. The government said another institution would be named after former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
Opposition leaders from Congress and AIUDF criticised the move, calling it disrespectful to the former President and alleging it could hurt sentiments and fuel communal politics ahead of the Assam Assembly elections.
On Tuesday, March 11, 2026, the Assam government made a decision that soon attracted criticism from opposition parties. The decision was related to the renaming of a medical college. The college located in Barpeta, which was earlier named Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, will now be renamed Barpeta Medical College and Hospital.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the current Chief Minister of Assam, addressed a press conference after the state cabinet meeting that made this decision. He said that most government colleges in Assam are named after the places where they are located, except this one.
“All our medical colleges are named after their locations. We see that in the medical colleges in Guwahati, Dhubri, Silchar, Bongaigaon, Biswanath and Sonitpur. Somehow, the Barpeta one was named Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, which does not align with the naming pattern of other medical colleges,” he said.
He added that the name had confused many people, who thought it was a private college, and that the decision was taken to remove this confusion. “Because of its name, many people ask whether it is a private medical college. That is why the Cabinet today decided to change the name and make it Barpeta Medical College and Hospital,” he said.
The government also said that as former President of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed is a renowned personality and the only President of India from Assam, the cabinet decided that another institution related to education or culture will be named after him to keep his name alive.
The decision by the BJP-led government to remove the name of the former President has sparked outrage from opposition parties, including the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), ahead of the Assam Assembly elections next month. The parties criticised the move and called it an attempt to hurt the Muslim community in the region.
AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal also expressed grief over the decision. He said, “Entire Muslim society is hurt by this act. Those who have been targeting the Muslims in Assam by repeatedly calling them ‘Miyas’ have done so. What benefit or peace has he got by removing the name? I was an MP when the medical college was set up and I also tried hard to have this medical college in Barpeta,” Ajmal said.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also raised his voice on the issue. In a post on X on March 12, 2026, Gogoi strongly condemned the move and highlighted the work that Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had done for the country. “We strongly oppose and express deep concern over the Assam government’s decision to remove the name of eminent freedom fighter and the first Assamese former President, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, from Barpeta Medical College. This decision is a grave insult,” he said.
He also criticised the decision, saying it was an insult to the distinguished Assamese personality and freedom fighter. He said removing his name from the Barpeta Medical College raised serious questions about the rationale of the current government. “What could be the justification for removing his name from Barpeta Medical College, which was named in honour of such a respected son of Assam?” he asked.
He also questioned whether this was another attempt by the government to pursue communal politics and polarise the vote bank. “The Assam government’s decision to remove the name of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed from Barpeta Medical College is extremely unfortunate and deeply hurtful to the sentiments of the people of Assam,” he said.
According to him, such actions risk erasing the legacy of eminent Assamese personalities who have contributed significantly to the nation. He urged the government to reconsider the decision and retain Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s name for the Barpeta Medical College. “Respecting the history of Assam, its pride, and the contributions of its great personalities is the responsibility and duty of every citizen of the state,” he said.
The college was established in 2011. It is affiliated with Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences and has been offering undergraduate courses since 2012 and postgraduate medical education since 2019. The medical college was set up when the Indian National Congress was in power in Assam, while postgraduate courses began in 2019, three years after the Bharatiya Janata Party formed its first government in the state.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed served as India’s fifth President from 1974 until his death in 1977.
[VP]
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