Rahul Gandhi's Surprise Delhi University Visit Latest BJP vs Congress Flashpoint

A surprise visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to Delhi University's North Campus has triggered the latest flashpoint between the BJP and the Congress. The university administration has raised concerns over protocol violations, and the BJP has accused him of politicising academic spaces. The Congress has defended the visit as a legitimate engagement with marginalised student communities.

According to a statement released by the DU proctor's office, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha entered the university premises without prior notice for the second time, thereby violating institutional norms.

"Shri Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time... coming to the university without any intimation and information to University of Delhi," the proctor's office said in a statement. 

Mr Gandhi held a closed-door interaction with Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Class (OBC) students at the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president's office. The discussion reportedly focused on issues of representation, discrimination, and the perceived lack of inclusivity in higher education.

University authorities said the visit disrupted administrative routines and student union operations. "The DUSU office was cordoned off by security cover and no one was allowed to enter," the release stated. It added that the DUSU Secretary was locked out of her office, and claimed that some students inside the premises were "misbehaved with" by members of the Congress-backed National Students' Union of India (NSUI).

The university also said that "strict action will be taken against students who were involved" and urged that such incidents not be repeated.

BJP's Criticism 

The BJP has labelled the visit as a "circus for a surprise photo-op" and said Mr Gandhi had thrown the campus into "chaos." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video clip of a woman confronting Mr Gandhi during his visit. He accused the Congress leader of staging the event and ignoring questions on his earlier remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people last month. 

"Today, Rahul Gandhi turned Delhi University into a circus - all for a surprise photo-op. The campus, caught off guard, was thrown into chaos. But amidst the staged optics, the real moment came when angry students confronted him - demanding answers about his remarks on Pahalgam, questioning the intent behind casting aspersions on our security forces and Operation Sindoor," Mr Malviya claimed in a social media post. 

"At a time when the entire nation is united behind our brave soldiers, the Congress would do well to remember: India is watching. And it won't forget these games," he added. 

DUSU President Defends Visit

In response to the university's and BJP's objections, DUSU President Ronak Khatri, who is affiliated with the NSUI, issued a rebuttal. Mr Khatri said that there is no rule mandating the student union president to seek prior permission for hosting private guests in the union office.

"Let it be clearly stated: this visit was conducted peacefully and solely within the premises of the DUSU Office," he said. "There exists no rule-academic or legal that compels the President of DUSU to seek prior permission for hosting a private or informal guest interaction."

Mr Kahtri went on to call the university's statement "factually incorrect" and accused the administration of political bias and administrative overreach. "This press note, unfortunately, appears politically motivated, biased in tone, and undermines the democratic and autonomous functioning of the student body," Mr Khatri added.

ABVP and DUSU Secretary Voice Objections

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the RSS-affiliated student organisation that holds key positions in the DUSU, also condemned the visit. In a statement, the ABVP accused Mr Gandhi of engaging only with NSUI-affiliated students. "Turning up uninvited, silencing elected voices and treating a student union office like a private drawing room is not leadership - it's theatre," the ABVP said.

DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal, who is associated with the ABVP, said she was barred from entering her own office due to VVIP protocols. "Only after a lengthy negotiation was I 'graciously' allowed entry - alone. I refused to leave the students behind," she said.