Refuting the claims made by BJP leader Go Madhusudhan that a request has been made to the State government to sanction 2,000 acres of land for setting up the proposed Tipu Sultan Central University at Sriranagapatna, Union Minister for Minority Affairs K Rehman Khan on Thursday said that what they needed was only 100 acres.

 The Moulana Azad Education Foundation, functioning under his ministry, is setting up five universities in the country, and one has been sanctioned to Srirangapatna.

On Wednesday, Madhusudhan had said that the State government will not sanction land to the proposed university as it was opposed to the setting up of a separate university for minorities. And, such universities will create terrorists, he had remarked.

When contacted by Deccan Herald, Khan said, “It is the duty of the State to give us land.
Can it not acquire 100 acres for the varsity when it is sanctioning acres together land to mutts? If the government has no land, let it purchase from private parties.

We will be writing to the government to give us land. If the government refuses to co-operate, we will request the Wakf Board or muthaliks to give us land. Or, may be somebody may voluntary to donate land. The Foundation is setting up the university on a PPP model. It was my predecessor A R Antulay’s idea to start the universities,” he said.

Asked whether he is ready to set up the university outside Srirangapatna, Khan said the first priority is Srirangapatna. “The RSS mindset is making some leaders assume that the proposed university will be a religious university. Tipu university will be like any other university offering various courses. An experts’ body headed by Sukhadeo Thorat, former UGC chairman, will be finalising how the five varsities should shape up,” the minister added.