Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Delhi University. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived on an undeclared tour on Thursday at the North Campus. Delhi University has objected to Rahul Gandhi’s move. It has been described as violation of institutional protocol and disruption in student administration.
The session was held at the office of Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) President and its objective was to interact with students of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) and discuss issues of representation, equality and educational justice.
The University of Delhi said in a statement that it condemns Rahul Gandhi’s visit. The DU administration hoped that such an incident would not happen again. According to the official statement, during Rahul Gandhi’s nearly an hour of migration, security personnel laid siege to the area, disrupting the functioning of a major student organization.
It said, “The DUSU office was taken into the security circle and no one was allowed to enter.” It also states that the DUSU Secretary was stopped by members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) from the Congress student union (NSUI) from going to his office. It further claimed that NSUI students abused some students. It states that strict action will be taken against the students involved.
Meanwhile, NSUI -affiliated DUSU President Raunak Khatri said that there is no rule under which the student organization needs to seek permission for the private guest host, especially when there is no public meeting or violation of the campus. “The tour was held peacefully and completely within the DUSU office premises, where I am fully entitled to invite any guest.”
He also said that describing this journey as unauthorized is not only a “factually wrong”, but also a sign of misleading and “administrative encroachment”. Describing it as “politics inspired and biased” press notes, he said that the autonomous functioning of the student body is being weakened.
ABVP protested
The RSS -affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), who holds several positions in DUSU, has also issued a statement criticizing Rahul Gandhi’s visit. Describing it a photo-up and “poor drama” instead of real access, it claimed that its representatives were sidelined during the session. The ABVP accused Gandhi of interacting with only selected NSUI members, which he called the “Eco Chamber”.