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Bengaluru, Mar 25 (PTI): Refuting the opposition BJP's claim that he suggested amending the Constitution to allow religion-based reservations, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday asserted that he was ready to retire from politics if the accusation was proven true.

He accused the BJP of "spreading false claims" due to their inability to tolerate his political stance.

Shivakumar also mentioned that the Congress high command had inquired about his comments and, after reviewing the video of his statement at a news channel’s programme—where he defended his government's decision to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts—was convinced he had not made such remarks.

"Am I mad? Those raising this issue have gone mad. BJP leaders cannot accept what I said in my interview, nor can they tolerate my political stance. Where have I spoken about changing the Constitution? It is their party members who have talked about it," Shivakumar claimed in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "I'm ready to retire from politics if I have ever spoken about changing the Constitution. Will they (the BJP) accept this challenge? Let them verify where I said it."

Asked about the BJP’s reported plans to protest by waving black flags at his events, Shivakumar said, "They should go ahead. They have a special affection for me, which is why they do this. They can’t sleep without taking my name or creating issues related to me. So, let them continue."

Dismissing the BJP's allegations as "baseless", he urged the media and political observers to watch his full interview. "Whatever they (BJP) are claiming is a lie; it holds no meaning. I urge my media and political friends to watch the entire interview from start to finish. They cannot digest the truth I speak. If I had said anything wrong, I would have admitted it," he claimed.

Affirming that the Congress is committed to protecting the Constitution, Shivakumar accused the BJP of "attempting to divert attention" from key issues by creating an uproar in Parliament over the matter on Monday.

"Are our leaders (Congress leaders) fools? They have verified my statements. I, too, have reviewed them, and so can you," he added.

He confirmed that the Congress leadership in Delhi had reached out to him for clarification.

"They asked me about it, and I told them to review the video. After watching it, they were convinced. They inquired anxiously, and I provided them with the footage of my statement," he said.

Regarding allegations of phone tapping raised by Congress members and opposition leaders from the BJP and JD(S), Shivakumar pointed to previous instances of alleged phone tapping under past governments, including against prominent seers, which were investigated by the CBI.

"Let the BJP government at the Centre release the CBI probe report on that matter. We can discuss the fresh allegations later," he remarked.

On Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna submitting a representation to State Home Minister G Parameshwara over an alleged "honeytrap" attempt against him, Shivakumar said Parameshwara, as a senior leader, would ensure "a proper probe and deliver justice to Rajanna, the party, and those affected."

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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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