Darbhanga: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was on Thursday, May 15, stopped by police on his way to Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga, where he was scheduled to interact with students.
When the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha reached outside Ambedkar hostel, his convoy was stopped from entering the premises. He was supposed to interact with students there at the party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ event, a state-wide public outreach programme.
Senior leaders of Bihar Congress asked security personnel to open the main entrance of Ambedkar hostel so that Gandhi can attend the function.
The previous day, the Darbanga administration had allowed ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ to be held at Town Hall shortly after the Congress party took exception to permission being ‘denied’ at the Ambedkar Hostel.
Earlier in the day, leaders of Bihar Congress made it clear that Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with students in Darbhanga town on Thursday will be held at the venue chosen by the party and not at the one suggested by the local administration.
In Patna, senior Congress leader Abhay Dubey told a hurriedly convened press conference, “The administration in Darbhanga is acting at the behest of the JD(U)-BJP combine. Hundreds of students coming from the adjoining districts of Madhubani and Samastipur are being prevented from entering Darbhanga. But the administration should realise that Rahul Gandhi enjoys the unlimited support of the country’s deprived classes.”
Dubey also ridiculed the purported claim of the Darbhanga administration that while seeking permission, the organisers had never specified that they wanted the programme to be held at Ambedkar Hostel.
Will continue our fight: Rahul
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Grand Old Party will continue its fight till reservation is extended to private educational institutions.
“This government is against Dalits, extremely backward classes, minorities, and Adivasis. The Congress demands the extension of reservation to private educational institutions in the country. We will put pressure on the government regarding this… our fight will continue till it is achieved,” he asserted.
He also demanded that the Centre follow the ‘Telangana model’ in conducting a nationwide caste census.
“The Centre must conduct the exercise the way the Telangana government has done it,” he said.
Despite not being granted permission to interact with students at Ambedkar Hostel, Gandhi managed to enter the premises and addressed the students.
“Bihar Police tried to stop me but couldn’t as the youth of the country are behind me,” he added.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Marziya Sharif | 
