BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind backs IIIT students’ protest

HYDERABAD: BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind on Thursday urged students of all universities in Telangana to stand with the students of IIIT Basara who have been protesting against the State government for the last three days, demanding basic facilities. Addressing the media at BJP party office at Nampally, Arvind asked Education Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy what was ‘silly’ about the 12 demands being made by the students.

“The students are asking for collaboration with other universities which enables knowledge transfer and building competitive spirit among the students. Is the Chief Minister not meeting Chief Ministers of other states to collaborate with them,” he asked.The MP sought to know what was so ‘silly’ about demanding a fulltime Vice-Chancellor for the university, and expecting the V-C to stay on the campus. 

Whether it was improving infrastructure of the hostel mess, provision of cots and beds, or extension of library timings, he wondered how Sabitha could see them as ‘silly issues’.He said that it was disappointing that Sabitha, who had held prominent portfolios during the Congress rule and now in the TRS rule, has become a slave to the ruling party.

“On average, the Centre has been releasing around Rs 600 crore every year for Samagra Shiksha Abiyaan, in addition to hundreds of crores for universities. But wherever we go, we see schools and varsities lacking basic facilities. Where is all this money going,” he wondered.