Rahul Gandhi unexpectedly dropped by Delhi University’s North Campus on Thursday, causing new controversy between the Congress and the BJP. The ex-Congress president met with students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) within the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office, which raised strong objections from the university administration and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the BJP’s student wing.
The nearly one-hour visit attracted flak for breach of protocol and political overtones. Though Congress said that the interaction was aimed at hearing out students’ complaints, Delhi University officials termed it an unauthorized intrusion into educational space.
University Officials Denounce ‘Breach of Protocol’
According to Delhi University’s proctor’s office, this was Rahul Gandhi’s second unannounced campus visit. The administration stated that neither the university authorities nor DUSU members were informed in advance. The proctor alleged that Gandhi’s team entered the DUSU office by surrounding the premises with their security personnel, restricting access to students and staff.
The university criticized how the visit was conducted, alleging disruption to normal activity and challenging the use of campus for political propaganda. Authorities stressed that political officials must respect protocol before being allowed into university grounds, particularly during working hours.
ABVP Criticizes Rahul Gandhi For Political ‘Drama’
The ABVP responded sharply, labeling Rahul Gandhi‘s visit a “political stunt” aimed at derailing student rule. ABVP activists compared the visit to “a rejected actor hijacking a student event,” and accused the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, of bad conduct during the incident.
DUSU Secretary Aprajita, belonging to the ABVP, asserted that she was stopped from entering her own office when Gandhi visited. She accused NSUI members of physically stopping her and that the visit was uncoordinate with any form of democratic agreement with the student representatives elected.
The Congress party came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, saying he had gone to the campus to learn about the academic and social issues of marginalized students. Footage distributed by the party had Gandhi engaging with students in a casual manner, listening to their complaints regarding access, representation, and discrimination at the university.
Congress leaders refuted allegations of political theatrics, saying that Gandhi has always gone to public areas and met ordinary citizens in order to realize grassroots issues. They charged BJP and ABVP with intolerance towards any kind of outreach that fails to think in line with their political ideology.
Rahul Gandhi: Was the Surprise Visit an Outreach or Optics?
The unanticipated campus encounter has generated controversy: Rahul Gandhi—was this a genuine gesture of overture to students from backward groups, or a well-planned political stunt to make headlines? Since elections are on the horizon and student politics have been more politicized than ever before, critics reason that the absence of advance clearance and the way in which he entered indicate a publicity-based move rather than an unpremeditated act of understanding.
In addition, the row asks broader questions concerning the proper place of national leaders in university politics and the demand for decorum and impartiality within academic institutions.
BJP Accuses Gandhi of Undermining Institutions
The BJP denounced Rahul Gandhi‘s university visit as a breach of university traditions and blamed him for transforming places of learning into battlefields for political ends. The BJP leaders described it as a “camera circus” and claimed the Congress was trying to use students as pawns to achieve electoral benefits.
Upper-level BJP spokespersons noted that such attempts weaken the credibility of institutions and divert attention away from actual issues impacting students, including teacher shortages, infrastructural shortfalls, and curriculum improvement.
Polarized Campus Climate Escalates
Thursday’s episode further radicalized the politics at Delhi University, where student union elections are typically contested as a proxy war between ABVP and NSUI. The incident also revived faculty members’ and student activists’ demands for depoliticization of university campuses and the importance of upholding a secure, party-free academic space.
The DUSU office has turned into a hotbed in this ongoing tension, with the ABVP and NSUI persisting in exchanging blame for who speaks for the student population and how political leaders must address them.
Rahul Gandhi‘s impromptu visit to Delhi University was perhaps meant as a demonstration of solidarity for neglected students, but it has only widened the rift between student groups and university officials. While political parties keep competing for control of the minds of the youth, the event highlights the need to establish boundaries for political activities in schools as soon as possible. By upholding such boundaries, the integrity of the learning environment can be safeguarded and students free to excel in an impartial, nondiscriminatory environment.
ALSO READ