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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TN polls: TVK pushes DMK behind with leads in 83 seats, AIADMK ahead in 54
Chennai (PTI): New entrant TVK, led by actor-politician Vijay, was leading in as many as 83 constituencies on Monday when counting of votes polled in the April 23 Assembly polls was on across Tamil Nadu. The AIADMK was leading in 58 seats while the ruling DMK was ahead in 34, EC data showed.
About two hours after the postal ballots were counted and EVMs opened for multi-round counting, Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam surged ahead of its Dravidian rivals-- the DMK and the AIADMK, with the ruling party struggling to catch up.
If the trends maintain, Vijay could as well ensure the biggest electoral upset, something in lines with the "1967,1977" wins he had referred to in his campaign speeches.
While the Dravidian stalwart CN Annadurai brought the first non-Congress government in Tamil Nadu post-independence in 1967, the charismatic MG Ramachandran (MGR) installed the maiden AIADMK government 10 years later, unseating then DMK government under M Karunanidhi. TVK was leading in most Chennai segments, all considered DMK strongholds and currently represented by the party in the 234-member House.
A poor show by DMK could belie most exit polls giving an edge to it, riding on the number of populist measures Chief Minister M K Stalin had implemented in his five year "Dravidian model," inclusive governance.
According to EC and TV reports, 15 cabinet ministers, including Stalin were trailing. His son and deputy CM Udhayanidhi was also behind in his incumbent Chepauk-Tirvuvallikeni seat, according to a number of reports.
Stalin was trailing behind TVK's VS Babu by 1234 votes in Kolathur segment. Vijay was ahead in Tiruchirappalli East by over 3,000 votes at the end of two rounds of counting, according to EC data.
BJP is trailing in 26 constituencies and it is ahead in Thali segment alone. TVK is ahead in constituencies including Ponneri, Tiruvallur, Poonamalle, and Avadi.
AIADMK is leading in segments including Katpadi, and Guidyattam and party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is ahead in Edappadi segment by 7003 votes.
DMK was leading in segments including Vellore, Anaikattu and Rishivandiyam.
