BENGALURU: A week after the announcement of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar that some new universities will be merged with old ones, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said no new universities will be shut down in the state.
Raising the issue in the Assembly, Dr CN Ashwathnarayan (BJP) alleged that the Congress government is attempting to shut down the universities started during his party’s rule. Siddaramaiah said only matters of urgency should be raised during adjournment motion. There was no need to debate this issue now.
When BJP members sought a debate on it, the CM said the government has not taken any decision yet. The cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of Shivakumar is yet to submit a report in this regard. Even the cabinet has not discussed the issue. With this being the situation, it is not right to say that the government is attempting to close the new universities, he added.
LoP R Ashoka said Shivakumar had stated that the government wanted to merge some new universities with old or parent varsities. “But the Chief Ministerr is giving a different version,” he added.