Delhi University and Rahul Gandhi are at loggerheads again.
On Thursday, the university issued a sharply worded statement objecting to the Congress leader’s unannounced visit to North Campus, calling it a breach of institutional protocol and a disruption of student governance.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time... coming to the university without any intimation and information to University of Delhi,” said the proctor’s office in an official release.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi, now the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, met students from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes at the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office. The session focused on representation, equality, and academic justice.
The university, however, called the visit disruptive.
According to the statement, the DUSU office remained cordoned off by security for nearly an hour, barring others from entering. The university said this hampered the functioning of a key student body and added that DUSU secretary Mitravinda Karanwal was also denied access to her own office.
“Some students were locked in the room of the secretary, DUSU, and were misbehaved with by NSUI students,” the release alleged.
It warned of “strict action” against students involved and expressed hope that “this does not happen in future.”
DUSU president Ronak Khatri, aligned with the Congress-backed NSUI, pushed back hard.
“Let it be clearly stated: this visit was conducted peacefully and solely within the premises of the DUSU Office, to which I, as the duly elected President of the Delhi University Students' Union, am fully entitled to invite any guest.
“There exists no rule — academic or legal — that compels the President of DUSU to seek prior permission for hosting a private or informal guest interaction, particularly when it does not constitute a public gathering or violate campus security,” Khatri said.
Labeling the university’s claims “factually incorrect”, he said the press note was “politically motivated, biased in tone, and undermines the democratic and autonomous functioning of the student body.”
The ABVP, which holds several positions in DUSU, accused Gandhi of gatecrashing a democratic space and staging a photo-op.
DUSU secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, aligned with the ABVP, said, “Only after a lengthy negotiation was I ‘graciously’ allowed entry — alone. I refused to leave the students behind.”
The ABVP called the event “bad theatre.”
“Turning up uninvited, silencing elected voices and treating a student union office like a private drawing room is not leadership — it's theatre,” the statement said. “Rahul Gandhi visiting DU is like a rejected actor crashing a student play — no role, no invite, just loud entry and bad reviews.”
It also claimed that Gandhi engaged only with select NSUI members “in an echo chamber” instead of holding an open dialogue. “Is this the Congress party's idea of women empowerment? Of youth outreach? Of democratic values?”
The BJP amplified the criticism. IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a clip of a woman confronting Gandhi while he walked past.
“But amidst the staged optics, the real moment came when angry students confronted him — demanding answers about his remarks on Pahalgam, questioning the intent behind casting aspersions on our security forces and Operation Sindoor,” he said in a post on X. “At a time when the entire nation is united behind our brave soldiers, the Congress would do well to remember: India is watching. And it won't forget these games.”
BJP spokesperson Pratyush Kanth said: “At Delhi University today, a wave of student outrage swept through the campus as furious youth confronted Rahul Gandhi, demanding accountability for his controversial remarks on the Pahalgam attack. They questioned the intent behind his statements, which they felt undermined the credibility of our brave security forces and cast doubt on the success of Operation Sindoor, a mission that powerfully demonstrated India’s unyielding resolve in the fight against terror. The youth of India are making it clear: they will no longer remain silent when national security is questioned and political agendas are placed above patriotism.”
This isn't Gandhi’s first clash with a university administration. Just last week, he held a similar outreach event at an Ambedkar hostel in Bihar’s Darbhanga without official permission. Two FIRs were filed against him and over 100 Congress workers.
Two years ago, Gandhi had received a notice from the provost of Delhi University's PG men's hostel over his 'sudden' visit to the facility in May, 2023. The Congress leader had visited a Post-Graduate Men's Hostel of the university, interacted with some students and had lunch with them.