Rahul Gandhi denied permission to meet students at Darbhanga hostel, venue shifted

Darbhanga : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday denied permission to interact with students at the Dr Ambedkar Welfare Hostel in Bihar’s Darbhanga.

The district administration, in a letter issued by district welfare officer (DWO) Alok Kumar, had informed the Congress party on Wednesday that permission was not granted for its proposed event under the ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ initiative, to be held on hostel premises. Later in the day, a district public relations officer (DPRO) announced that the venue had been shifted to Nagar Bhawan, near the municipal corporation office.

“The organisers informed that the venue of Rahul Gandhi’s program has been changed to Nagar Bhawan (Town Hall).  Necessary arrangements have been made there,” the DPRO said.

Senior Congress leader and MLC Dr Madan Mohan Jha told HT, “If permission was to be denied, why did the administration carry out road construction and make security arrangements at the hostel earlier? The party still stands by its decision to hold the ‘Chhatra Nyay Samvad’ at the Ambedkar Hostel,”

“The letter, dated May 14, 2025, addressed to a leader of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Shadab Akhtar, merely states, ‘Permission for the said event is not granted.’ This terse line, devoid of any explanation or rationale, betrays the very spirit of transparency expected from a responsible administrative office,” a Congress party worker alleged.

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“When a leader of national stature like Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to address Dalit students at Ambedkar Welfare Hostel, the denial of permission without citing a single reason is not only disrespectful but also suggests either intellectual shallowness on the part of the issuing authority or pressure from political quarters influencing the decision,” Mohd Asalam, another party worker, said.

District magistrate (DM) Rajiv Raushan, meanwhile, clarified that the permission for Dr Ambedkar Welfare Hostel was denied according to government policy. “An application was received from former minister and MLC Madan Mohan Jha to book the Town Hall, and accordingly, Nagar Bhawan was allotted. Any attempt to hold the program at the said hostel would not be allowed due to security and legal concerns,” he said.

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“The administration was fully prepared at the approved venue and any deviation from the permitted location would attract legal consequences,” he added.

DWO Kumar said that an “FIR will be registered against those who take the law into their hands.”

The Congress party is organising similar events at 40 locations across Bihar, aiming to connect with the students and youth and raise concerns over educational equity under the banner of Shiksha, Nyay Samvad.