Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted on Tuesday that he was prevented from interacting with students at a private university in Meghalaya during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at the behest of the Union Home Minister. The directive, according to Gandhi, was conveyed to the university authorities through the Assam chief minister’s office.

Addressing students and others from atop his Yatra bus at the Assam-Meghalaya border, Gandhi explained the situation. He intended to engage with students, civil society members, and party leaders at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district. However, the programs were rescheduled to a hotel in Ri Bhoi district after the university withdrew permission.

Gandhi, leading the Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Mumbai, entered Assam from Meghalaya for the second leg of the journey, continuing until January 25. He emphasized that his presence wasn’t the most crucial aspect but the freedom for students to listen to anyone they choose.

The Congress leader expressed pride in the students and youth resisting attempts to suppress their freedom, stating, “You have come here because you do not agree with what the chief minister is trying to do. You are not ready to accept an enslaved Assam, and I am extremely proud of that.”

Gandhi asserted that the youth should be allowed to think freely and emphasized that such restrictions are not unique to Assam but pervasive across schools, colleges, and universities in India. He urged the youth to preserve their ability to imagine, think, and shape the future they desire, free from external interference.

Source: PTI

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