‘Didn’t know about political nature of Rahul’s visit’

PANAJI - The Goa University (GU) Thursday blamed the Youth Congress for keeping it in the dark on the political nature of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s visit.

The varsity’s registrar Mohan Sangodkar told reporters here that action would be taken against those who sought permission for the Congress leader’s meetings.

“What they (Youth Congress) have done is not right at all. It’s totally an inappropriate use of the permission given by the Goa University,” Sangodkar said.

The varsity was under siege by members of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyathi Parishad, the students wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a day before Gandhi’s Tuesday visit. The protesters had alleged that the GU campus had been politicized in connivance with the authorities, which had allowed three political meetings on the apolitical campus.

The three meetings Tuesday, which created a lot of controversy in the state, included Gandhi’s interaction with Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) members, with Youth Congress members in the varsity’s conference room and his speech to the Pradesh Congress Committee officials.

Sangodkar says the conference room was allotted to the Youth Congress only as a “stand by” arrangement.

“Whenever a VVIP comes to the university, a safe house is arranged for emergency purpose or confidential discussions. Nobody knew that it would be used for the type of meeting, which was finally held in it,” he added.

The registrar, under pressure from the BJP, was also forced to withdraw a circular inviting students from all parts of Goa to attend the interaction session with Gandhi Tuesday.