Thaindian News

Raipur, Aug 20 (IANS) Controversy erupted in Chhattisgarh Thursday between the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress after Raipur-based Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University refused to provide an auditorium to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi for a function scheduled Friday.
Gandhi will arrive in the state Thursday evening on a two-day visit. He will interact with students from the National Students Union of India (NSUI) in four cities starting from the state’s southern town Jagdalpur late Aug 20 evening and at Raipur, Bilaspur and Korba the next day.

Congress leaders were stunned Thursday when S.K. Pandey, vice-chancellor of Ravishankar Shukla University refused to provide an auditorium for Gandhi’s function though he had reportedly agreed earlier.

“The university vice-chancellor is acting under pressure from the BJP government. Our leader (Rahul Gandhi) will surely interact with students in the university complex despite refusal to provide an auditorium,” Ravindra Choubey, Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the state assembly, told reporters.

He further said: “Our leader will interact with NSUI members in the university, the interaction may be at the university canteen or under the shadow of a tree in the university complex.”

Though the BJP government has chosen to remain silent over the issue, its youth wing, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has backed the university administration decision.

“Educational institutions should not be allowed to be used for political purposes as it will affect the educational atmosphere. I don’t oppose Rahul Gandhi’s function but am surely against politicians’ functions in schools, colleges and universities,” Sanjay Srivastava, state president, BJYM, told the media.

Sources in Congress said that they will try to persuade Gandhi to interact with NSUI members in the university complex whether the university administration agrees or not.