Rahul Gandhi not to be allowed in Osmania University, students oppose

Students and authorities of Hyderabad’s Osmania University have crossed swords over the proposed visit of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the varsity on May 6 and 7.

Rahul Gandhi was expected to hold a “non-political” interaction with the students during his visit. However, university authorities are against his visit and have disallowed him on campus. Students, though, want him to visit the varsity and have filed a petition in court for the same.

Citing a June 2017 High Court order, authorities said that they had decided not to allow non-academic activities on campus, including political activity.

Congress leaders feel that the state’s ruling TRS could have been behind this decision as they would want to to keep Rahul Gandhi away from the institution considered Ground Zero for the Telangana movement.

“Why are they stopping him? If Sonia Gandhi had not given Telangana, would you have become chief minister and minister?” asked Congress leader Hanumantha Rao.

“After the coming of Telangana, have the young people got what was promised — jobs, fee reimbursement. What are your problems in hostel, he will ask. So KCR is stopping and arresting our activists and putting them in jail. It is wrong… it is not a public meeting. Students will tell Rahul Gandhi their issues,” he added.

On Sunday, activists of the Congress’s student wing NSUI were detained by police after they held protests against the denial of permission.

The student wing of the TRS and ABVP, the students’ organisation linked to the RSS too held counter protests.

Some professors of Osmania University are however supportive of Rahul Gandhi’s visit, saying it was not political but intellectual activity that the Congress leader seeks to have with the students.

Rahul Gandhi will be addressing a public meeting in Warangal on May 6.