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Mandya (Karnataka), Apr 7 (PTI): Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, H D Kumaraswamy, on Monday expressed disappointment over being "prevented" from working in Karnataka, alleging that the Congress government in the state was obstructing his efforts out of "political jealousy".

He was speaking at the consecration and Kumbhabhishekam ceremony of the newly installed idols of Lord Siddhi Vinayaka and Nagadevata at Handanahalli village in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district.

"The people of Mandya have elected me as their Member of Parliament, and I am grateful for their trust and blessings. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has entrusted me with the Heavy Industries and Steel portfolios in his Cabinet. I am working hard to bring one or two industries to Mandya, Ramanagara, or Tumakuru districts. However, the state government is not extending its support," he alleged.

In a statement, Kumaraswamy said that the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company is one of the state’s proud industrial establishments, with its main plant located along the coastal belt of Mangaluru.

He alleged that despite failing to provide jobs to thousands of locals, the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah—which was in power until 2018—collected funds and granted permissions even after mining activities in Kudremukh had ceased.

"Although they collected crores of rupees for mining allocations, no mining took place for years. Without mining, iron ore couldn't be supplied to the factory," he alleged.

According to Kumaraswamy, once he took charge as Union Steel Minister, officials informed him of the state's obstruction and that Kudremukh required funds to restart mining in Ballari.

"I signed the proposal to provide Rs 1,700 crore in financial support and sent it to the Finance Ministry. As Steel Minister, I signed it first with the intention of doing good for the state. However, the state government, out of political jealousy, obstructed it," he claimed.

Further, he added, "Because of this, 2,000 employees at the Mangaluru plant lost their jobs. Ultimately, for the benefit of these people and the state, I decided to merge Kudremukh with NMDC (National Mineral Development Corporation)."

The Union Minister further alleged that the state government was "politicising the development of HMT and creating hurdles".

Recalling the support extended by neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Kumaraswamy cited the example of the Vizag Steel Plant.

"Chandrababu Naidu met me several times to discuss reviving the plant. He participated in many meetings. Leaders from that state, cutting across party lines, submitted demands to me. Isn’t that kind of commitment worthy of appreciation? But here, in our state, how fair is it to mix politics with development? Who ends up suffering? The youth—because they are being denied jobs. Who is responsible for that?" he asked.

He accused the state government of playing politics even in matters of development.

"They’re not just failing to cooperate with their political opponents—they’re not even supporting the good work being done. If this continues, how will industries ever be established in the state?" Kumaraswamy asked.

Assuring the people of Mandya that he would meet their expectations, he said villages should remain as peaceful as they once were, and that "auspicious events and religious programmes should rise above party politics".

"Political interference should not seep into rural development activities. When I think of our childhood, I still get emotional. We had no facilities and very limited technological advantages. Yet, people lived in harmony, with love and mutual respect. That atmosphere is now lost—we are becoming increasingly narrow-minded," Kumaraswamy claimed.

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New Delhi: A Noida-based private University, Galgotias has come under severe criticism after allegedly showcasing a china-made robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Social media users accused the university of purchasing a commercial robot from China and presenting it as its own creation at the summit.

Reports claimed that the university showcased the Unitree Go2 robotic dog, an AI-powered device available on Chinese platforms for Rs 2–3 lakh, under the name “Orion” during the event in New Delhi.

“So Galgotia university purchased a commercially available robot worth Rs 2.5 lakhs, called it their own and passed it off in the Delhi AI Summit as a part of their 350 crore AI ecosystem..I literally have no words left,” wrote ‘X’ user Roshan Rai, sharing a video in which a DD News reporter interviewed a university official about the robotic dog.

The viral post claimed that the robot closely resembles Unitree Go2, a quadruped robotic dog developed by Chinese company Unitree Robotics.

Screenshots attached to the post compared the robot displayed at the summit with the Unitree Go2 listing, priced at roughly 2,800 dollars (around Rs 2.3–2.5 lakhs).

According Unitree Robotics, The Unitree Go2 is widely used as a programmable quadruped robot for research, education, inspection, and development purposes, and is a common learning platform in universities and robotics labs worldwide.

Several users reiterated the claim.

Government of India funds for filing patents

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about alleged misuse of government funds.

User @sky_phd highlighted, “Galgotias University is once again in the spotlight. Under the guise of research and innovation, they are raking in plenty of money.”

The user claimed that the university took money under government funds, and wrote, “The Government of India provides incentive funding of up to five lakh rupees for filing patents.”

“To understand the patent filing process and the games being played with it, take a look at the list of top Indian institutions filing patents. All the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) together file only 803 patents, while institutions like Lovely Professional University, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Galgotias University, and Teerthanker Mahaveer University have filed more than a thousand patents each,” the user wrote, sharing a chart of patent filings by these universities.

“The basic international patent filing fee is $285–400. Through patent filings alone, these institutions are reportedly earning more than fifty crore rupees annually. However, while these universities file patents, they often do not pursue them further, and most patents ultimately do not get granted. This inflates filing numbers but does not reflect real innovation or recognized intellectual property,” the user added.

Another user pointed out about the selection criteria of the summit. The user questioned, “What exactly was the selection criteria for participation in this AI summit? .”

“Platforms meant to showcase India’s innovation should represent genuine research, original ideas, and credible institutions. So how did Galgotias University qualify to display a Chinese-made robot and present it as its own “innovation”? If true, this isn’t just embarrassing, it undermines the credibility of the entire summit and of India’s growing tech ecosystem. At a time when India is trying to position itself as a global AI and deep-tech leader, showcasing repackaged imports as indigenous innovation only damages trust. If we want the world to take India’s AI ambitions seriously, transparency and authenticity must come first,” the user added.

 

University clarifies after backlash

In response to the criticism, Galgotias University issued a clarification, stating that it “never claimed to have built the device” and that the robot was procured from a Chinese manufacturer for academic purposes.

“Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies in Bharat," the university said.

The university in its statement also pointed out that the Unitree Go2 is being used as a learning tool for students.

“From the US to China and Singapore, we bring advanced technologies to campus because exposure creates vision, and vision creates creators. The robodog is actively being used by students to test capabilities and explore real-world applications,” the university added.

University professor claims “it's developed by the Center of Excellence at the Galgotias University.”

In another video captured by DD News, a reporter showcased the Galgotias University pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

At the pavilion, the reporter spoke with the university professor about the technology on display.

The professor introduced the robot, saying, “This is Orion. You need to meet Orion. It has been developed by the Center of Excellence at Galgotias University.”

She added, “I would also like to brief you about Galgotias University. We are the first private university investing more than Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence and have a dedicated data science and AI lab on campus.”

“Orion has been developed by our Center of Excellence. It can take all shapes and sizes and is quite playful. It can perform small tasks such as surveillance and monitoring. It can even execute movements like moonwalks and somersaults,” she explained.

She also claimed that, “This is India’s first iOS lab in North India at a university, giving our students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.”

Reacting to the video social media users ridiculed the 350 cr rupees investment compared to the china made robo dog.

Past Controversies of the University

This is not the first time the university is in controversy. In May 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, a video went viral showing students protesting outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi against the party’s manifesto. The footage, captured by Aaj Tak, showed students struggling to articulate the purpose of their protest, raising questions about the demonstration’s intent.

Earlier, in 2017, students protested against the university management after being barred from appearing in exams due to low attendance, with allegations that fines were requested to allow attendance, a claim denied by the administration.

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