Osmania University denying nod for Rahul’s visit: Congress

HYDERABAD: Alleging that the Osmania University administration has ‘unofficially’ refused to grant permission for AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi‘s visit to its campus, Congress workers on Saturday said the State government was involved in it. Staging a protest, Youth Congress leaders tried to burn Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s effigy in front of the OU Arts College, but were stopped by police. 

Speaking to Express, Telangana Nirudyoga Vidyarthi JAC K Manavata Rai said that the university authorities had refused permission when the students’ body approached them. “We applied for the permission on April 22, but they are dilly-dallying. It has been over a week and unofficially they are refusing to give the permission. They may give the same in written form on May 2, to prevent us from going to court (due to holidays). We will approach the court for a lunch motion on May 2,” said the leader.

It is learnt that authorities referred to the resolution adopted by the OU Executive Council in 2021 that no political meetings should be allowed within campus. But Congress leaders maintained that the Rahul’s visit would be non-political. He would only interact with students and job-seeking youth. When Express tried to seek a clarification, there was no response from OU officials. Meanwhile, a senior official of the Hyderabad City police said so far nobody has approached them seeking permission for holding Rahul Gandhi’s programme at Osmania University.

 Congress leaders continued to condemn the ‘denial’ of permission. MLA Jagga Reddy who had earlier approached the authorities along with student leaders for seeking permission condemned it. He held that the university students who had sacrificed a lot for achieving statehood were now being denied a chance to interact with a national leader who only wanted to understand their grievances.

Non-political visit?
The authorities referred to the resolution adopted by the OU Executive Council in 2021 that no political meetings should be allowed on the campus. But Congress leaders maintained that the Rahul’s visit would be non-political