New Delhi, November 8, 2011: ‘Allegations of Bihar HRD Minister P K Shahi against the Central Government and asking for Allahabad High Court decision on writ petition against AMU are baseless’, said the Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal. A team of AMU Centre Co-ordination Committee along with Kishanganj MLA Dr. Mohammad Jawaid met Sibal on Tuesday evening at his residence in New Delhi. The meeting was intended to clarify the latest controversial statements given by Shahi after his meeting with Sibal on November 3, 2011 regarding the proposed Aligarh Mulsim University (AMU) Special centre in Kishanganj. During his talk, Sibal has totally denied the allegations made by Shahi regarding the intention of the UPA Government for AMU Centre in Bihar.
Kapil Sibal with Dr. Jawaid and AMUCC team
The Union Minister told the writ petition against AMU Study centres had already been dismissed by Allahabad High Court long ago. So, there is no any truth in the statement of pending writ petition in Allahabad High Court about the proposed centre in Kishanganj. Sibal has also clarified the authority and power of AMU Vice Chancellor regarding opening the special centres across the country. He said the AMU is an autonomous university, and the Vice Chancellor has the full authority to take decision on any subject related to the university, the HRD Ministry doesn’t have any right to unnecessarily interfere in centre related issues. In fact, the land transfer issue is related to AMU VC and Bihar Government, the Centre doesn’t play any role in this apart from releasing funds once the land would be officially acquired by the AMU administration, mentioned the Member of Parliament from Chandni Chowk Constituency of Delhi.
Kapil Sibal with AMUCC Co-ordinator Mohammad Aslam
The proposed AMU Centre in Kishanganj, Bihar has remained in news since its announcement and now it has become a part of controversy and political blame game. The recent was the allegation of Bihar HRD Minister P K Shahi’s statement against the Central Government published in the Patna Edition of Times of India on November 04, 2011 with the headline ‘AMU centre decision after HC order’. Shahi alleged, Sibal had said, the Centre would take a decision on the proposed AMU centre at Kishanganj in Bihar after the Allahabad High Court disposes of a writ petition against the opening of AMU centres outside Aligarh. According to Shahi, a writ petition is pending in the Allahabad High Court and action will be taken by the Centre as soon as the writ petition of decided.
Kapil Sibal is eager to open the branch of AMU in Kishanganj. He has assured the team to call a Press Conference on the issue to clarify his stand as soon as he gets time to call the media. Like thousands the team of AMU Committee, which is keenly following the issue for past two years was not convinced with the statement of Shahi published in few Bihar based dailies this past week. The committee was trying its best to fix a meeting with Kapil Sibal to know the facts. Dr. Mohammad Jawaid, the Congress MLA from Kishanganj fixed a meeting with Kapil Sibal and took along the two members of AMU Co-ordination Committee, namely Co-ordinator Mohammad Aslam and Mahfooz Alam.
