JOIN USOsmania varsity curbs Rahul Gandhi’s interaction session citing rules, exams; Congress says its KCR’s doing
The Osmania University (OU) authorities have denied permission for an on-premise interaction between Rahul Gandhi and the students. The denial came ahead of the Congress leader’s planned tour of the campus scheduled for Saturday.
Officials have cited the university’s executive council resolution preventing political gatherings on campus for withholding its assent. The university has seen quite a lot of political dissent as it was the hotbed for Telangana statehood agitation. Some officials have also pointed out that exams are underway and that students are preparing for the job interviews announced recently by the TRS government, and having Gandhi-student interaction on campus will be a hindrance to them.
However, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee members allege that the decision was made at the behest of the K Chandrasekhar Rao government.
The Congress and its students wing NSUI accuse the university VC Ravinder Yadav of becoming an agent of the ruling TRS and “denying permission for Rahul Gandhi's session without any reason.”
“CM KCR is behind all this as he fears that our leader’s interaction with OU students will bring the Telangana students community’s situation and the rising unemployment scenario into limelight,” said NSUI state chief Balmoor Venkat.
Balmoor, was among the 17 NSUI members who were arrested and sent to judicial remand for staging a demonstration and damaging public property at the OU administrative office. Balmoor claimed they were staging a peaceful protest to condemn VC’s “gulamgiri”.
Meanwhile, hearing a petition to allow Rahul Gandhi’s tour, the Telangana High Court has asked the university Vice Chancellor to reconsider the application.
Rahul Gandhi will be on a two-day tour in Telangana, and will address a public meeting at Warangal on Friday.
“We will approach the OU VC again now. But we plan to go ahead with the tour even if the permission is denied again. Let the police be deployed to stop us, we would not back down,” said Jagga Reddy, MLA and TPCC working president.
Jagga Reddy was taken into custody on Sunday while on his way to support the NSUI members.