Should Nani Gopal Mahanta Resign As GU VC? Dulu Ahmed Says He Should

Political activist Dulu Ahmed has once again stirred controversy with a strongly worded Facebook post targeting Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta. In his post, Ahmed urged Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, former DGP of Assam, to persuade the Vice-Chancellor to resign. He wrote,

“Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta sir, during the lockdown, you had promised to stand by the youth of Assam. Please also convince your brother, Gauhati University VC Nani Gopal Mahanta, to step down.”

Issuing a direct warning, Ahmed further stated, “Otherwise, I will expose Nani Gopal Mahanta completely in court. He threatened to file a defamation case against me, but why has he remained silent till now? I am preparing to expose him myself.”

The post has sparked heated discussion online, with many interpreting Ahmed’s remarks as an open challenge to the Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor.

Earlier Allegations of Massive Corruption

Earlier, in another Facebook post, Ahmed claimed that the Assam government, under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s leadership, has been “protecting” Shyamkanu Mahanta and that his family has long enjoyed various government benefits. He further alleged that Nani Gopal Mahanta, elder brother of Shyamkanu Mahanta, had recently secured a ₹35-crore construction contract at Gauhati University in the name of Puja Associates, a firm linked to Shyamkanu Mahanta.

Ahmed demanded a thorough investigation into the matter, adding that public sentiment in Assam must be respected. He urged the Chief Minister to immediately revoke the honorary position of Vice Chancellor conferred on Nani Gopal Mahanta at Gauhati University.

In another post, Dulu Ahmed mentioned that fresh allegations of large-scale corruption and misuse of public funds have been levelled against Gauhati University Vice Chancellor Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta and his brother Shyamkanu Mahanta, both accused of enjoying political patronage under the BJP-led Assam government.

According to the allegations, despite the Vice Chancellor’s office being newly constructed and fully functional, Nani Gopal Mahanta allegedly ordered the demolition of interiors and sanctioned fresh renovations worth crores of rupees, funnelled through a firm named Dizine Perfect, reportedly linked to him.

Similarly, it has been claimed that furniture in the former Vice Chancellor’s chamber, which was already new, was replaced at a cost of several crores, again through the same firm. Even the Vice Chancellor’s residence, built during the previous tenure, was allegedly renovated at massive costs.

The list of accusations also includes:

• Conversion of a park inside the campus into a restaurant under the Puja Associates banner, allegedly controlled by the family, without any tender process.
• Awarding high-value public relations contracts to firms linked to Shyamkanu Mahanta.
• Recently sanctioning the security guard services of Gauhati University to a firm reportedly partnered by Shyamkanu Mahanta.
• Misuse of his role as in-charge of 56 model schools in Assam to siphon off crores of rupees.

Following Dulu Ahmed’s post, questions have been raised over why the BJP-led government has allegedly extended special privileges to the Mahanta family, with critics calling the move “mysterious and politically motivated.”