Bengaluru, Sep 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday paid his last respects to former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes, calling him "a friend, a guide and a true soldier" of the party.

The former Congress President also met the family of Fernandes.

"Spent some time with the family of Shri Oscar Fernandes Ji and paid last respects to him- a friend, a guide and a true soldier of the Congress Party," Rahul tweeted.

Fernandes (80), who was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mangaluru, passed away on Monday.

He had suffered head injury after a fall while practicing yoga at his residence on July 18, following which he was shifted to the ICU and had remained critical, unconscious since then.

Rahul was in the city to pay his last respects to the veteran Congress man.

After his arrival in the city this afternoon, he met the family members of the late leader including wife Blossom Fernandes, son and a daughter at their Rest House Road residence here, and participated in the final prayer blessing at St. Patrick's Church here.

Several national and state Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Randeep Singh Surjewala, K C Venugopal, Margaret Alva, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar were present.

Fernandes' body was brought to the city on Wednesday evening from Mangaluru, and it was kept at the state Congress office here earlier in the day for party leaders and workers to pay their last respects.

Condoling Fernandes death, Rahul Gandhi had earlier said, "It is a personal loss for me. He was a guide and mentor for many of us in the Congress Party. He will be missed and fondly remembered for his contributions."

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Hyderabad: A group allegedly linked to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted a theatre performance at the University of Hyderabad on Sunday evening. The group is also accused of vandalising property and assaulting students.

Slogans such as “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maro…” were raised during the incident, according to eyewitnesses.

According to the Observer Post, the disruption happened as Mahesh Elkunchwar's play Holi was being staged at the Department of Theatre Arts' GB Hall. The group reportedly objected to certain portions of the play, claiming that some phrases hurt religious sentiments.

According to accounts from those present, the situation escalated when individuals forced their way into the venue after damaging fixtures and breaking glass panels outside the auditorium. Students attempting to intervene were reportedly assaulted, and a guest faculty member was allegedly threatened.

Several students sustained injuries and were provided initial treatment at the campus health centre before being shifted to a nearby hospital.

Police later arrived at the scene, brought the situation under control, and escorted those inside the hall to safety. Witnesses said tensions remained high, with some members of the group continuing to raise slogans during the evacuation.