Breach of institutional protocol: DU on Rahul Gandhi's unannounced visit
New Delhi, May 22 (PTI): Delhi University on Thursday objected to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's unannounced visit to its North Campus, calling it a breach of institutional protocol and a disruption of student governance operations.
"Shri Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time... coming to the university without any intimation and information to University of Delhi," the proctor's office said in an official release.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi, who is also the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, interacted with students from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) at the DU's North Campus, focusing on issues of representation, equality and academic justice.
The session was held at the office of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president.
The university condemned Gandhi's visit and said it hoped that such a thing would not happen again.
According to the release, Gandhi remained in the DUSU office for almost an hour, during which the area was cordoned off by security personnel.
The university criticised the visit for disrupting the functioning of a key student body.
"The DUSU office was cordoned off by security cover and no one was allowed to enter," it said, noting that the DUSU secretary was also barred from accessing her office.
"Some students were locked in the room of the secretary, DUSU, and were misbehaved with by NSUI students," it claimed.
These actions occurred while the DUSU secretary remained outside, seeking access to her office but was prevented from entering by members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the Congress' student wing, it added.
"The university condemns such action and hopes that this does not happen in future," the release said.
"Strict action will be taken against students who were involved in this," it added.
The RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which holds several posts in the DUSU, also issued a statement criticising Gandhi's visit.
It said the Congress leader's visit was a photo-op rather than a genuine outreach and claimed that its representatives were sidelined during the event.
DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, aligned with the ABVP, alleged that she and her team were prevented from entering the student body's office due to "VVIP protocol".
"Only after a lengthy negotiation was I 'graciously' allowed entry -- alone. I refused to leave the students behind," she said.
The ABVP termed the event "bad theatre".
It said, "Turning up uninvited, silencing elected voices and treating a student union office like a private drawing room is not leadership -- it's theatre."
"Rahul Gandhi visiting DU is like a rejected actor crashing a student play -- no role, no invite, just loud entry and bad reviews."
The ABVP further accused Gandhi of engaging with only select NSUI members in what it called an "echo chamber" instead of holding an open dialogue.
It said, "Is this the Congress party's idea of women empowerment? Of youth outreach? Of democratic values?"
Last week, Gandhi met students at an Ambedkar hostel in Bihar's Darbhanga district as part of his 'Shiksha Nyay Samvad'. The event, held without official permission, led to the registration of two FIRs against him and more than 100 Congress workers in the state.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
