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    Shivakumar locks horns with BSY over medical college ‘shift’

    Synopsis

    Congress leader DK Shivakumar has got into a bitter fight with chief minister BS Yediyurappa over what he feels “snatching away of a government medical college granted to his constituency of Kanakapura," right after walking out of Tihar jail in the money-laundering case. Earlier Shivakumar said he would lay down his life to retain the college.

    ET Bureau
    Bengaluru: A week after walking out of the Tihar jail in a money-laundering case, Congress leader DK Shivakumar has got into a bitter fight with chief minister BS Yediyurappa over what he feels “snatching away of a government medical college granted to his constituency of Kanakapura." The Assembly constituency is about 60 km from Bengaluru.

    The Cabinet, which met here on Thursday, sought to put at rest speculations over the location of the proposed college by deciding it in favour of Chikkaballapur. The district headquarters was represented in the Assembly by Dr K Sudhakar, who is among the 17 lawmakers who resigned in July paving the way for the collpase of the JD(S)-Congress regime and formation of the BJP government.

    Earlier this week, Shivakumar, a former minister, had said that he would lay down his life to retain the college. While the Congress leaders have criticised Yediyurappa for playing politics in sanctioning of the medical college, BJP leaders have maintained that the college legitimately belonged to Chikkaballapura.

    When contacted, Sudhakar denied that he has snatched it away from Kanakapura or that the chief minister has rewarded it to his constituency for resigning his Assembly membership. “The government had in its budget of 2015-16 announced the college for my constituency. But during the coalition government, it was sought to be shifted to Kanakapura without following due processes,” he said.

    He maintained that he did not demand the BJP government to shift the college from Shivakumar’s constituency to Chikkaballapura. “I only asked for what was due to us."

    On Shivakumar’s angry outbursts, the chief minister said the government could, at best, sanction a medical college for each district, not taluks. While Chikkaballapur is a district, Kanakapura is a taluk in Ramanagara district. “I will talk to Shivakumar,“ the CM said.

    The BJP leaders have defended the government’s move claiming that Shivakumar’s Assembly segment cannot have a medical college when the district is home to a university of health sciences.

    Shivakumar hit out at the CM and accused him of playing politics on development issues. “I am not against the government establishing medical college in every district headquarters. But it should not be at the cost of a college sanctioned to my constituency,” he said.

    On Shivakumar’s angry outbursts, the chief minister said the government could, at best, sanction a medical college for each district, not taluks


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