Student Protests and Venue Dispute Mar Rahul Gandhi's Rally Plans in Prayagraj

As the Congress and BJP trade charges over the cancellation of ground for Rahul Gandhi’s rally in Prayagraj, little has changed for the students whose protests prompted the Congress to choose the city as one of the venues for its ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ outreach. On May 29, hundreds of students had hit the streets in Prayagraj, a major coaching hub, demanding the release of scorecards for the Uttar Pradesh Police Sub-Inspector examination and cancellation of the Lekhpal recruitment test, over what they alleged were serious irregularities in the process. They also called for greater transparency in Uttar Pradesh’s recruitment mechanisms. Besides students, owners and teachers of several coaching institutes in the city had joined the protests, following which three popular coaching centres were sealed by the Prayagraj Development Authority (PDA) for alleged irregularities. More than two months later, while the centres essentially remain shut, the government released scorecards for the S-I examination only last week, after the final results were declared. The Lekhpal recruitment test was not cancelled, but its results are yet to be announced. Congress UP general secretary Anil Yadav, the coordinator of the ‘Chatron Ki Goonj’ campaign in Prayagraj – earlier events were held by Gandhi in Kota and Dehradun – said they plan to raise several issues, including the alleged harassment of students, the closure of coaching institutes, and the matter of pending bharti (recruitments). While the Congress was the organiser, it would be a non-political, student-centric event, Yadav said. Before the booking for K P Ground in Prayagraj’s George Town area for Gandhi’s August 8 rally was cancelled, the Congress expected around 50,000 students to participate. The Kayastha Pathshala Trust that owns the ground revoked permission, citing an Allahabad High Court order saying the venue could be used only for sports and educational activities, and claiming the ground was waterlogged. It also said that the Congress could hold the programme after the rainy season or during vacations, and that the advance amount of Rs 51,000 would be refunded. The Congress has contested the cancellation, pointing out the prior permission for it. With the party trying for alternative venues, Gandhi declared Thursday that the government could not stop him from “raising the voice of students”. In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said the Modi government’s policy was to “suppress the voice of the youth”. “Ask a question and you get lathicharged, protest and you face cases, and raise your voice and you get pellet guns… It’s clear that they are even afraid of ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’… No matter how hard the government tries, it cannot stop me from raising their voice,” he wrote. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai, who visited Prayagraj on Wednesday in connection with the event, told The Indian Express: “Just a few days ago, a marriage function was held on K P Ground, and there was no objection. If there was any issue, they should not have allotted the ground in the first place… This is nothing but a pressure tactic by the BJP, which does not want Rahul Gandhi to address students in Prayagraj. But Rahul Gandhi will come, whether permission is granted or not.” The owners of two of the three coaching institutes whose premises remain sealed, however, won’t be among those participating – the May experience apparently weighing on their minds. While they were aware of the Congress meeting, they did not wish to be a part of it, they said. Maroof Ahmed, owner of Super Climax, said that of the three rented buildings from which he ran his institute, the seal on only one has been removed. Going forward, he would only lease buildings that had completed all the formalities required by the PDA, Ahmed said. On the Congress protest, he said: “I only want to do my work. I’m not interested in any campaign.” Vivek Kumar, the owner of Exampur Coaching Institute, also said he would not be taking part in the event, while stressing that he has no political affiliations. With the building rented by the institute still sealed, Kumar has been running his classes online. Ravi P Tiwari, the owner of Targeton Institute, whose building also remains sealed, said he has not decided yet whether to join the Congress protest or not. He is currently conducting online classes, while looking for alternative premises to rent. The PDA has denied any link between its action against the coaching centres and the student protest, saying they cracked down only due to compliance violations.