Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president and Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh today questioned the motives and logic behind the Khalsa College Governing Council move to set up a university which he apprehended will dilute and subvert the Heritage Status of the historic Khalsa College Amritsar.He made it categorically clear that he will personally at no cost allow that the distinct identity and place the Khalsa College Amritsar holds in Punjab's cultural history be diluted, usurped or subverted for the greed of a few who are controlling the college governing council.Capt Amarinder said, he will personally stage a protest against the move right in front of the Khalsa College Amritsar in case the governing council decided to go ahead with its decision.The former Chief Minister maintained that he was not opposed to anybody setting up a private university. "But certainly not at the cost of our golden heritage of which Khalsa College Amritsar is an important symbol", he warned adding, those at the helm of the governing council must remember that it is not their private property but the public trust they are holding and for which a number of Punjabis including his ancestors have made immense contribution.
Capt Amarinder said, he will personally see to it that the Khalsa College, which officially enjoys a heritage status retains the distinction and does not fall prey to the greed of a select few."I am concerned not only because I am the MP from Amritsar, I am concerned also because I am a Punjabi who holds his history and culture as sacrosanct and that is why I warn the governing council against its ill intended move", he asserted.Besides, he questioned the logic behind setting up the university in Amritsar when the famous Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar was already doing a great job and catering to the academic research and higher studies demand in the area. He said, if the governing council members intentions were really aimed at expanding the academic activities, it should better think of setting up a university in Southern Punjab like in the areas around Mansa, Sangrur, Barnala which do not have any university in the neighbourhood. The Central University set up by the government of India, that too be the Congress government, is yet to cater to the needs of higher education in those areas, he added.