Shimla: Opposition congress on Thursday held that with the High Court ordering a CBI probe into certification of educational institutions obtained on basis of false representations had endorsed their stance about mushrooming of private universities in the state.
Congress general secretary Kuldeep Rathore said that the opposition intended to hold a mass padyatra (protest march) that would start from Solan on 22nd August and end up with a mass protest demonstration outside the Vidhan Sabha on 24th, during the monsoon session.
He said that Solan had been picked as the starting point of the protest march because it was the district which had borne most of the brunt of benami land deals struck in the state.
The congressman said that though transport minister Mohinder Singh had retraced his statement about it being very difficult to track down benami deals but in the first place the minister had acknowledged that there were a large number of such shady deals taking place.
With the High Court ordering a CBI probe into private educational institutions operating from rented accommodations and offering specialized courses like B Ed and M Ed degrees, the congress spokesman said that they had been raising issues about such institutions, including private universities, having a free go in the state at the cost of careers of aspiring students.
He added that the court directing a central agency to conduct the probe reflected poorly on the state enforcement and vigilance agencies, which had become a tool in the hands of the state government for harassing opposition party members.
Besides the planned protest outside the Vidhan Sabha during the monsoon session, a protest on similar lines would be held during the winter session, which is held in Dharamshala, he said.
As the election year draws closer, the party cadres are being geared up, said Rathore. Direct elections to youth congress were underway and no senior leader was meddling in it, he added.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
