The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs will set up five universities across the country under the private-public partnership model where minority students will get 50 per cent reservation, said Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan.

Among the five, will be the Tipu Sultan University at Srirangapatna in Karnataka, he said.
Khan, who arrived in Bangalore for the first time after being inducted into the Union Cabinet, received a rousing welcome by leaders of his party and supporters on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters, he said the universities, which were planned in West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Karnataka, were being established in association with the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, which functions under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

He said his Ministry was giving impetus to introducing a modern education system in madarasas across the country and that Rs 300 crore had been set aside for this purpose.

Khan said he was confident that the Centre would implement recommendations made by the Justice Sachar Committee. He said 15 per cent of the equitable resource allocation made under the prime minister’s 15-point programme would be diverted towards welfare of the minorities.

Rubbishing allegations leveled against him by State Minorities Commission chairperson Anwar Manippady, Khan said Manippady’s report should be “thrown into the dustbin,” as it contained no truth.

He said people in his own party were conspiring against him and were raking up both the Wakf Board and Amanath Co-operative Bank issues at every given opportunity.

“Some people just haven’t been able to tolerate my progress and they want to finish me politically. As a result, they have been making these baseless allegations against me.

I will not tolerate this. There is, however, no point in filing a defamation suit against Manippady,” he added.

He said he hadn’t hankered after any post or position and that he had been lucky that the Congress party had continuously given him opportunities to prove his mettle.

KPCC president G Parameshwara said the Muslim community was one of the most socially and economically backward communities. Muslim leaders such as Khan should protect the community’s interests and be their “voice”.

“With elections nearing, there are many wrong notions among the people of the Muslim community. We need to wipe out these misconceptions and strengthen the party. The party needs Khan’s support in this,” he said.