The opposition BJP and AIMIM have opposed the Maharashtra government's decision to set up the state's first international sports university in Pune, and demanded that it be established in Aurangabad to develop such facilities in the Marathwada region.
A BJP delegation, comprising local MLA Atul Save and state spokesperson Shirish Boralkar, submitted a memorandum over their demand to Aurangabad Collector Sunil Chavan on Wednesday.
According to the memorandum, the sports university was proposed to be set up in Aurangabad by the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led state government. But, the present Maha Vikas Aghadi government (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) shifted the proposed institution to Pune.
There are already ample sports facilities at the Balewadi sports complex in Pune, but there are no such facilities here in Marathwada, the BJP said.
Hence, the demand for a sports university here is reasonable and it should be fulfilled by the state government, or else "we shall undertake agitations", the party said in the memorandum.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) also submitted a memorandum at the Aurangabad divisional commissioner's office on Tuesday with the similar demand.
The proposed university was shifted to Pune for "political intentions", leading to anger among sportspersons here, the party claimed in the memorandum.
