Rahul Gandhi's DU Visit Row: ABVP calls LoP's DUSU office entry 'attack on democracy'

NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of making an "unauthorised" entry into the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office, calling it an attack on democracy, student rights, and the academic environment.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday visited Delhi University's North Campus to interact with students from Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) communities, focusing on issues of representation, equality and academic justice. Delhi University also 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.

"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.

Rahul Gandhi's visit disrupted ongoing exam

At a press conference, ABVP members claimed that Gandhi’s unannounced visit during ongoing university examinations disrupted academic decorum and allegedly resulted in DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal being denied entry to her own office.

"This is not just the physical locking of a door, but a symbolic silencing of student voices," Karanwal said, alleging she was verbally abused and pushed by Gandhi’s supporters. The student group also claimed that Gandhi had previously “disregarded the decorum and regulations of the university by entering a PG Men’s Hostel without authorisation.”

"His repeated use of university campuses for a political agenda is deeply concerning," it said. They further accused that the Leader of Opposition of "fleeing from campus" after students questioned him about Congress leaders’ remarks on military operations. "Rahul Gandhi’s continuous scepticism towards the military operations for political mileage is deeply unfortunate," the group said in its statement.

ABVP held protest outside proctor's office

"In protest, ABVP held a demonstration outside the proctor’s office, citing unauthorised entry, mistreatment of elected representatives, and suspected substance abuse during the visit," the statement read. "Following the protest, the university administration reportedly acknowledged the seriousness of the incident. The administration assured that appropriate investigation and action would follow," it added.

Taking a swipe at Congress leader, the BJP on Thursday said he turned the campus into a circus for a "surprise photo-op". BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said the campus, caught off guard, was thrown into chaos.