Osmania University in Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, has denied permission to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for an interaction program with the students of the institute. Congress workers on Monday demonstrated against this decision of the university and the arrest of their associates in this connection. Congress Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and claimed that the university did not grant permission because of his coercive tactics. Regarding the denial of permission, a university official told ‘PTI-Bhasha’ that permission was not given due to various reasons. He said that the executive council of the university had passed a resolution last year, in which it was decided not to allow any political activity on the campus. Besides, elections to some employees’ unions are scheduled, examinations are underway for some courses and a section of students is also preparing for the recently announced recruitment examinations by the state government, the official said.
The party’s student wing (National Students Union of India-NSUI) protested here on Sunday after the university refused to allow the Congress leader for an interactive session with students on May 7. At least 18 protesters were arrested in this connection. Congress’s Telangana unit president and MP A Revanth Reddy said Gandhi planned to meet the arrested NSUI leaders on May 7. Revanth Reddy alleged that Chief Minister Rao “pressurised” the university authorities not to allow Gandhi to meet the students. Earlier, the state Congress president met NSUI leaders in jail. Revanth Reddy said a letter has been handed over to the jail superintendent, seeking permission from the arrested NSUI leaders to meet Gandhi. On Gandhi’s proposal to meet the students, he said that talks with the students were planned to understand their concerns and other pertinent issues and to raise such issues in Parliament for the betterment of both the students and the university. Meanwhile, NSUI activists on Monday staged a protest in the university campus to protest against the denial of permission to Rahul Gandhi’s program and the arrest of NSUI leaders on May 1. Police caught NSUI activists who raised slogans against the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government and the university administration. At least 18 of them were arrested by the police after a group of NSUI activists allegedly pelted stones at the main entrance of the university’s administrative building on Sunday, angry over the Congress leader not being allowed to hold discussions with the students. had done Rejecting the allegations leveled by the Congress against the TRS government, party leader and state energy minister G Jagadesh Reddy said there was no need for the ruling party to stop anyone’s meetings.
Reddy said in a release today that the Congress was trying to create unrest in Osmania University as its hopes of gaining popularity among the youth were dashed with the issuance of notification by Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao for recruitment in government departments. Huh. Meanwhile, some students of Osmania University affiliated to NSUI today moved the Telangana High Court requesting a direction to the university to allow Rahul Gandhi’s programme. The petitioners said that Rahul Gandhi wants to meet the unemployed youth along with the university students for the purpose of nation building, and there is no apprehension of any law and order problem to arise. The court heard the matter today and thereafter fixed May 4 as the next date of hearing in the matter.