M S University authorities on Thursday denied permission to Rahul Gandhi to have an interaction session with the students, citing security reasons. Rahul Gandhi, who has begun his three-day Gujarat visit from Thursday, is scheduled to be in Vadodara on February 13.

MSU Vice-Chancellor Ramesh Goyal denied that he was politically pressurised in denying permission to Rahul for the student interaction programme. Incidentally, it was only on January 30, that Rahul had interacted and had lunch with students in a mess at the country’s premier design institute – the National Institute of Design – in Ahmedabad, which too was informed of his visit just a day earlier.

Goyal told Newsline,“How can you expect an operational university to make security arrangements for a VVIP person in 20 hours?”

He added: “It was only today afternoon that I received the details of the persons coming and the number of students who will be there. Tomorrow, if something goes wrong, I will be held responsible.”

He also denied that he was under pressure from the Chief Minister. “I have not talked to the CM. I still welcome him (Rahul Gandhi) if he wants to have an interaction with me in my office. But interaction with students on the ground is certainly not possible. They (Congress) should have provided all the details well in advance. The time was too short for checking the security aspect,” said Goyal.

Incidentally, Goyal had in a letter to MSU Senate Member and City Congress leader Narendra Ravat on February 11, mentioned that he was honoured to have Rahul Gandhi at MSU.

The Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel had also gone to the University Convocation ground, the venue decided for Rahul’s interaction with the students, and had asked the university V-C to confirm the venue.

Ravat said: “The V-C, however, neither confirmed nor denied the permission. He was under pressure from the CM to cancel Rahul’s venue.”

In fact, when the SPG group had gone to the Convocation ground to check the security arrangements, they were quizzed by the MSU authorities as to in what capacity they were checking the security of the ground. The Congress has now selected the amphitheatre in Sayaji Baug –the city’s central park adjoining MSU – as the new venue for the purpose.

State Congress spokesperson Arjun Modhwadia said: “MSU has a very good tradition of inviting dignitaries. Even the students were interested to interact with Rahul Gandhi. However, pressure from Modi (Chief Minister) prevailed. He is afraid of Rahul and hence this happened.”

Last year, V K Suri, the V-C of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, had denied Rahul permission citing security reasons. Later, Suri had submitted his resignation to Uttar Pradesh Governor T V Rajeswar.

Assures to take up fishermen’s issues with Centre

RAJKOT: CONGRESS general secretary Rahul Gandhi has assured fishermen in Porbandar that he will take up issues affecting them, with the Centre.

Rahul, who was in Saurashtra as part of his three-day tour to Gujarat, spent more than 15 minutes with the fishermen. He asked them: “How many Indian fishermen are lodged in Pakistani jails? What is the status of boats captured by Pakistan? I will take up the issue with the Centre,” he said.

Rahul arrived here two hours late due to bad weather.

At Sudama Chowk, where the Amethi MP interacted with Youth Congress members, he restrained from a public address despite repeated request from the crowd. “He is here to meet the people of Porbandar and not to address a public meeting. Else, it will be considered as part of the election campaign,” a Youth Congress worker said on his behalf.

Later, the fishermen submitted a memorandum to him with three demands. “All we want him to do is to accelerate the release of the Rs 32-crore relief package for fishermen whose boats have been captured. This was announced by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi some two years ago at Porbandar. We also want the government to provide Rs 1.5 subsidy on diesel per litre, which has been frozen for over two years now. They should also get the boats and fishermen released from Pakistani jails,” said Manish Lodhari, vice-president of the National Fish Forum.

The fishermen were, however, not hopeful of any immediate help or relief from the Centre. “There’s very little time left for the UPA government. All will depend on the next government,” Lodhari said.

Later, Rahul visited the historic Somanth Temple in Junagadh and later headed towards Amreli and Bhavnagar districts for meetings with Youth Congress leaders.