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EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
SOLAPUR, SEPT 22: Leaders of political parties joined hands here on Monday to demand a separate Solapur university. They announced that a mass movement would be launched if the demand was not accepted as soon as possible.
Mayor Janardhan Karampuri took the initiative and convened a meeting of MLAs, MPs, leaders and teachers at Indra Bhavan. They asked him to form an action committee to decide on the future steps.
Many speakers recounted the incidents of inconvenience faced by the teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students. A delegation of MLAs and MPs led by Karampuri will meet Chief Minister Manohar Joshi to press the demand. If the Government turns down the demand, educational institutions will observe a bandh.
Solapur has allopathy, homeopathy, ayurved, engineering and law colleges, a polytechnic and over 50 arts, commerce and science colleges with a strength of 70,000 students. The demand was made a few years ago but failed to gain any momentum due to political differences. But now thatKarampuri has brought all political parties and MLAs and MPs under one umbrella, the demand should get a due hearing.
Talking to The Indian Express here on Monday after the meeting, Karampuri emphasised the necessity of a university for Solapur. He said in the past the leaders had tried their best separately and failed. Now all have agreed to fight together and so the struggle would be successful.
``First we will put the matter before Manohar Joshi,'' he said. ``And if the demand evokes no response, we will come out on the roads with the help of students and keep education institutes closed till the demand is met,'' he said.
Karampuri said a separate university would be their slogan. He added, ``If the Government forms a Solapur university with neighbouring districts of Osmanabad and Latur, we won't mind. But the demand should be met,'' he maintained.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Narsing Mengaji told The Indian Express that he had tried to raise the issue in the State Legislative Assemblyin March 1997. ``But it could not be taken on the agenda then,'' he said. In the December session, the issue would be raised again, he said. He said: ``I will meet the finance minister, education minister, deputy chief minister and the Chief Minister and follow up the issue.''
The meeting has not finalised the date for the meeting the Chief Minister. MLC Subhash Deshmukh, former MLC Brahmadev Mane, former MLA Prakash Yelgalwar, MLA Narsing Mengaji, MLA Narsayya Adam, Solapur Municipal Corporation members, student union leaders and teachers were present at the meeting.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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