A day after Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Delhi University’s (DU) North Campus, the institution has accused him of violating protocol and disrupting student governance.
In a statement issued on Thursday, May 22, the office of the DU Proctor strongly objected to the "unannounced" nature of Gandhi’s visit, calling it his second such unscheduled appearance.
“Shri Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time… coming to the university without any intimation and information to University of Delhi,” the statement read.
Gandhi was on campus as part of his Shiksha Nyay Samvad, an outreach initiative focused on academic equity and student representation. During the visit, he met students from marginalised communities, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), at the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office, where discussions centred on issues of representation and justice in higher education.
Why the backlash?
The university claimed the visit lasted nearly an hour, during which access to the DUSU office was restricted by Gandhi’s security team. It alleged that elected student leaders, including DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, were denied entry and that several students were locked inside the office by members of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
Calling the incident “a serious disruption of student governance,” the administration warned that disciplinary action would be taken against those responsible for the disturbance.
DUSU president defends Gandhi
Ronak Khatri, DUSU President and NSUI leader, defended the visit, calling it peaceful and legitimate.
“There is no rule that requires the DUSU President to seek prior approval to host a guest in the union office,” Khatri said, describing the university’s reaction as “administrative overreach” and “politically motivated.”
He further accused the administration of selectively targeting events that involved opposition leaders while ignoring similar visits by BJP politicians.
ABVP slams visit as 'bad theatre'
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS-affiliated student organisation that holds several DUSU posts, criticised the event sharply. ABVP's Mitravinda Karanwal claimed she was blocked from entering her own office due to “VVIP protocol,” and only got access after a prolonged argument.
“Turning up uninvited and silencing elected voices is not leadership,” the ABVP said in its statement, calling the episode “bad theatre.”
The controversy comes amid heightened political activity on university campuses nationwide. Just last week, Rahul Gandhi faced backlash after an unauthorised student interaction in Bihar.
As of now, Delhi University has not announced any specific disciplinary action, but officials indicated that the matter is being reviewed.
