It is one of India’s oldest universities, with a long and illustrious history of student activism. However, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Osmania University (OU) on May 7 for a “non-political” event is said to have been denied.
Though the university has not given the organisers written notice of its decision, the OU Executive Council’s reported refusal on Saturday has sparked a political storm, with the Congress accusing the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)-led state government of putting pressure on the university to prevent Gandhi’s visit. On the same day, some students petitioned the Telangana High Court, requesting that it order the university to allow Gandhi’s visit.
Congress leaders announced on Sunday that they had applied for permission for the visit on April 23, claiming that it would be “non-political.” Since 2017, the Executive Council has passed a resolution almost every year prohibiting non-academic activities on campus, including political meetings, according to an administration official.
