The historic Arts College of Osmania University is likely to be the venue of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with the students during his two-day visit to Hyderabad on August 13 and 14.
The proposed visit, which will be watched keenly and raise curiosity among the people, is likely to happen on October 14. It will not be a public meeting but a simple interaction with the students and unemployed youth, who played a key role in the Telangana agitation.
However, party sources said that the venue is yet to be finalised as there were several logistic issues and security clearances related to it. “He will interact with the students but we will finalise the venue soon,” Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Mr. Reddy also held a preliminary meeting with the Telangana Students JAC and Unemployed JAC, who are keen to invite Mr. Gandhi to the university that was the hotbed of the Telangana agitation. Telangana Students JAC and Unemployed JAC chairman Manavata Roy said that they have extended the invitation to Mr. Gandhi to address them to understand their problems and aspirations. “We will seek permission from the University for the interaction at Arts College and if not at Tagore Auditorium. We will also seek the support of all the student unions,” he said.
Mr. Roy said they don’t want to make the meeting a political affair and so political leaders would be asked to keep away.
Mr. Gandhi’s visit, if it fructifies, will generate huge curiosity since political leaders have kept themselves away from the Osmania University in the last four years, particularly the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) with whom the student community was visibly angry over the diverse statements from the government on filling up the vacant posts.