Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC V. Somanna’s call for an all-party meeting to resolve the issue of site selection for setting up the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has found no takers in his own party.
Mr. Somanna had, at a press conference in Raichur on Friday, urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to call for an all-party meeting. He had also said he would convince the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar to write to the Chief Minister urging him to convene an all-party meeting. However, Mr. Shettar and BJP State president Pralhad Joshi have disowned Mr. Somanna’s statement.
Mr. Shettar told The Hindu here on Monday that there was no meaning now to urge for an all-party meeting. Mr. Somanna has expressed his opinion but it was not the party stand. The Centre has taken a decision. It would have been of use if such a meeting had been held before the State government recommended the three locations, Mr. Shettar said.
Mr. Joshi said that the party won’t concur with Mr. Somanna’s statement on the IIT issue. He said that he would talk to Mr. Somanna soon in the matter.
Mr. Somanna’s statement has not gone down well in the academic circles too. A senior academic who had earlier served with the Karnataka Higher Education Council said that it was a pity that politicians were seeking political mileage out of the IIT issue with scant regard for the growth of higher education. In such matters, the Centre goes by the expert panel’s opinion and not by political considerations, he said.
Such a meeting should have been held before the State recommendations were sent: Shettar
Academic irked by politicians seeking political mileage from the IIT issue
