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| CENTRAL UNIVERSITY ISSUE | | BJP ‘falters’ in Lok Sabha, opposes ‘pro-Jammu’ Bill | |
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, Nov 30: It may sound strange and ludicrous but the truth is that the party which few months back threatened to ‘shake up the state’ if Central University was not allotted to Jammu region was today the lone opponent of the idea in Parliament when an amendment Bill was moved for setting up two Central Universities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Anurag Thakur of BJP, who is also son of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, opposed the idea describing it succumbing to the regional pressures. Reacting to the development Congress leader and Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla said that “cat is out of the bag” and it is the time people understood who represents them well. BJP veteran and party’s leader in Assembly Prof Chaman Lal Gupta feigned ignorance over the matter and said that perhaps BJP MP Anurag Thakur was not aware of the ground realities in Jammu and Kashmir.
A Bill to amend the Central Universities Act 2009 had to be moved in the Lok Sabha following Government of India’s consent to allot two Central Universities to Jammu and Kashmir against one as envisaged in the original Act which was passed by the Parliament earlier this year. The announcement of Central University earlier this year had caused a rift between two regions of the state with Jammu region taking to agitation. The state government then took up the matter with Center and got the Human Resource Development Ministry to agree on two Central Universities in the State.
Even as Jammu based members of the Congress strongly pitched for the campus in Jammu but it was the BJP which actually moibilised agitation with active support of RSS and the organizations backed by it. The matter was, however, resolved with Government of India agreeing to two Central Universities in Jammu and Kashmir and an ordinance to this effect was issued by the President Pratibha Patil on October 20.
Interestingly, the Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal today moved the amendment Bill in the Parliament just for the purpose of legislation on the two Central Universities in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP was seen as the lone opponent in the Lok Sabha. BJP MP from Himachal Pradesh Anurag Singh Thakur strongly opposed the Bill and said that bowing to such pressures by the government will lead to strengthening of regionalism in the country.
Rated as best among the young MPs of BJP, Anurag is son of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and is also President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. Reports reaching here said Anurag Thakur of BJP took exception to the proposed amendment, saying it would give a fillip to regionalism. He wondered if tomorrow Uttar Pradesh asked for three Central universities to cater to its large population will the Centre accept the demand.
When asked about contradictions within the party in championing the cause of Jammu, the seasoned BJP leader and former Union Minister Prof Chaman Lal Gupta told Early Times that MP (Anurag Thakur) was perhaps not aware of the ground realities. Gupta said that BJP has fought all the way for Central University in Jammu and idea of opposing it is unimaginable.
The senior Congress leader and Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, however, told Early Times that “this is not the first time that BJP stands exposed for its duplicity”. He said, BJP has always created a wrong notion of championing cause of Jammu while stood for equal development and opportunities to all regions and sub-regions in the state. He said that a team of Ministers will be visiting the site in Samba district on December 4 for finalizing the campus location.
Earlier, reports from New Delhi said, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal today moved for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha a Bill to amend Central Universities Act, 2009 to bifurcate Central university to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir to cater to both Jammu and Kashmir regions of the state.
The bill, introduced in the House on November 24, will replace the Central Universities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2009, promulgated by President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on October 20 due to the urgency of the matter and because Parliament was not in session then.
The Centre's decision to set up the university in Jammu and Kashmir had triggered agitation with both the regions demanding that it be set up in their area. Bowing to the wishes of the people of both Jammu and Kashmir regions, the government brought this amendment bill.
Sibal said Rs 240 crore has been allocated in the 11th Plan to set up the Central universities in Jammu and Kashmir.
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