Amarinder hits out at Majithia over Khalsa College issue
Friday, 19/02/2016
http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=150329&boxid=58338&uid=&dat=2016-02-19
Amritsar: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Thursday accused Khalsa College Governing Council president Satyajit Singh Majithia of trying to “grab and usurp a public institution” that holds a distinct place in Sikh history. He was responding to Majithia’s statement accusing him of politicising the issue of converting Khalsa College in Amritsar into a private university. “There was one great Dayal Singh Majithia, who bequeathed all his wealth and great institutions like a chain of Dayal Singh Majithia Colleges to the nation and here is this Majithia (Satyajit Singh), trying to grab and usurp a public institution for personal gains,” Amarinder said.
“Although I am not surprised over modern day Majithias’ unbridled greed for money, I still expected them to at least respect the sanctity of the institution which holds an important place in Sikh history and heritage,” he said. The state Congress chief alleged that what the Badals are doing to the SGPC, the Majithias are trying to repeat and replicate with Khalsa College. Reiterating that the emotions and sentiments of Sikhs across the globe are associated with the institution, Amarinder said, it had been built with support from erstwhile princely states of Patiala, Kapurthala, Jind, Nabha and Faridkot.
“Just by grabbing the institution now and by infiltrating your yes-men into the Governing Council does not confer any moral right or authority on you to usurp it to make money,” he said. Amarinder also said that even if Majithia manages to get the Act for the university passed in the Vidhan Sabha through the Badals, he will ensure that it is repealed after Congress forms government in the state following 2017 Assembly polls. Referring to his visit to the Khalsa College on Wednesday, Punjab Congress chief said that Majithia and other members of the management should know that he had been the chancellor of the college for six years. Refuting allegations that his security personnel broke the locks of the gate to enter the college, he said “Let me clarify that we simply made a request and the college security staff were kind enough to open the locks.” “But why did you need to lock the gates and why did you want to bar my entry into the campus,” Amarinder asked.
