HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court refused to intervene on Monday in Osmania University’s decision denying permission to NSUI, the student wing of Congress, to hold a students’ meet at Tagore auditorium with its national president Rahul Gandhi on May 7. The judge, however, made it clear the students are free to file a fresh application challenging the rejection order passed by the OU authorities.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy, meanwhile, alleged that the OU authorities denied permission for Gandhi’s visit at the behest of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government.
The order refusing to intervene was passed while disposing of a petition filed by K Manavatha Roy and three other students from NSUI, who had challenged the inaction of the varsity authorities in taking a decision on their representation made to the authorities 10 days ago.
Though Justice B Vijaysen Reddy initially asked the OU officials to consider the representation and convey a decision on the same, he was informed later by state counsel T Srikanth Reddy that the OU authorities had considered the representation on Monday afternoon and had rejected it in view of the ongoing examinations on the campus. Any political meeting would disturb the atmosphere on campus, the state counsel said.
The counsel for the students argued that there was no political motive behind the proposed interactive session. “Rahul Gandhi will interact with students and unemployed youth and elicit their views on problems and would convey his views on the same. This will inspire the youth and, since it is a face-to-face interaction with students, there is no scope for any law and order problem,” he said.
The judge, however, said that since the grievance of the students in their plea was that the authorities were not taking any decision on their request, no order could be passed in this plea because the officials had now acted on it by rejecting the request. “Now you can challenge the rejection order separately, if you want,” the judge said before closing the plea.
TPCC president Revanth Reddy, speaking after meeting NSUI activists from OU who were remanded in judicial custody in Chanchalguda jail on Monday, said, “OU has completed 100 years and Rahul Gandhi wanted to interact with the students and present their issues in Parliament. He wanted to exert pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funds and upliftment of the university.” He submitted a representation to the superintendent of Chanchalguda jail for Rahul Gandhi to visit the arrested NSUI members and asked them to act independently in deciding whether or not to grant permission.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A Revanth Reddy, meanwhile, alleged that the OU authorities denied permission for Gandhi’s visit at the behest of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi government.
The order refusing to intervene was passed while disposing of a petition filed by K Manavatha Roy and three other students from NSUI, who had challenged the inaction of the varsity authorities in taking a decision on their representation made to the authorities 10 days ago.
Though Justice B Vijaysen Reddy initially asked the OU officials to consider the representation and convey a decision on the same, he was informed later by state counsel T Srikanth Reddy that the OU authorities had considered the representation on Monday afternoon and had rejected it in view of the ongoing examinations on the campus. Any political meeting would disturb the atmosphere on campus, the state counsel said.
The counsel for the students argued that there was no political motive behind the proposed interactive session. “Rahul Gandhi will interact with students and unemployed youth and elicit their views on problems and would convey his views on the same. This will inspire the youth and, since it is a face-to-face interaction with students, there is no scope for any law and order problem,” he said.
The judge, however, said that since the grievance of the students in their plea was that the authorities were not taking any decision on their request, no order could be passed in this plea because the officials had now acted on it by rejecting the request. “Now you can challenge the rejection order separately, if you want,” the judge said before closing the plea.
TPCC president Revanth Reddy, speaking after meeting NSUI activists from OU who were remanded in judicial custody in Chanchalguda jail on Monday, said, “OU has completed 100 years and Rahul Gandhi wanted to interact with the students and present their issues in Parliament. He wanted to exert pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for funds and upliftment of the university.” He submitted a representation to the superintendent of Chanchalguda jail for Rahul Gandhi to visit the arrested NSUI members and asked them to act independently in deciding whether or not to grant permission.
