Congress flays Chanakya varsity Bill, says land given at low price to ‘RSS agency’

BENGALURU: Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday urged the State Government to withdraw its decision to grant land at a price lower than the market rate to the Centre for Education and Social Studies (CESS) to set up Chanakya University at Haraluru, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The Assembly on Tuesday passed the Chanakya University Bill by a voice vote amid, while  Congress members walked out. Siddaramaiah, talking to the media, alleged all members of CESS are from RSS. “It is an organisation that promotes the idea of Manu. It wants to reestablish Varnasharama in our society,” he charged.

He said the Bill was passed in haste in the Assembly without giving the opposition an opportunity to debate it in detail. “CESS has no prior experience of managing educational institutions and also does not have any infrastructure to start a university,” he added. He asked the State Government to clarify the criteria adopted to allocate land to Centre for Education and Social Studies . 

“The BJP government had called for a cabinet meeting in April and approved handing over of 116 acres to CESS. The notified land had been acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to set up aerospace and defence industries. It had acquired the land at Rs 1.5 crore per acre and gave a compensation of Rs 175 crore to acquire 116 acres. The same land is now being given to CESS at just Rs 50 crore. The current market value is Rs 300-400 crore,” he added. 

He said the government has passed a Bill to favour the RSS mouthpiece. “This is a highly criminal and corrupt attempt by the BJP government. At a time when the second wave of Covid-19 was at its peak and the government was starved of funds, the government  convened a Cabinet meeting and gifted land to Centre for Education and Social Studies ,” he thundered.  Siddaramiah even accused Speaker Vishweshwar Hedge Kageri of being “partial” while passing the Bill.  

Pvt university Bill passed in Council
Even as the Assembly adopted the Chanakya University Bill, 2021, the opposition in the Council have objected to its passage without a detailed debate. Congress chief whip M Narayanaswamy launched a scathing attack alleging a scandal in land being allotted to the private university through KIADB at throwaway prices. Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister J C Madhuswamy retaliated saying it was a precedent set by the Congress-led government. As Narayanaswamy continued his tirade, Madhuswamy sought that he be removed from the House as he was deviating from the debate. The Bill was passed after the Congress staged a walkout. Later, the chairman adjourned the Council for the day.