Mayawati targets Rahul By Sangita Bakhaya

Kanpur, Oct 24 (PTI) After Congress President, it was
the turn of her son Rahul Gandhi to be targeted by Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati when the administration of a
university here cancelled a scheduled interaction with
students in its auditorium.

Almost a fortnight after the controversy over the
Mayawati government cancelling the allotment of land for
construction of a rail coach factory in Sonia's constituency
in Rae Bareli, the gates of the auditorium in the
Chandrashekhar Azad University were locked when Rahul arrived
here Friday for the interaction with students.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (U.P.C.C.) President
Rita Bahunguna Joshi alleged that the Chief Minister had
exerted pressure on the University Vice Chancellor to get the
function cancelled. She said the administration had withdrawn
all security for the leader.

But an unfazed Rahul kept his date with the students
holding an interactive session with them in the cafeteria.

Immediately after landing at the airport, Gandhi drove
to the university auditorium and after finding it locked he
walked down a kilometre to the cafeteria with students to have
an interaction with them.

The S.P.G. security personnel protecting Gandhi had a
tough time controlling the over-enthusiastic students. When
they pushed some students to check them, Gandhi came to their
rescue and instructed S.P.G. men not to prevent the students
reaching him.

After the cancellation of the land allotment for the
coach factory, the Rae Bareli administration also clamped
prohibitory orders in Rae Bareli last week when Gandhi was
scheduled to visit her constituency for the rail coach factory
foundation stone laying ceremony.

As the issue went to court, the ceremony was cancelled
but Gandhi went ahead with the visit and declared that she was
ready to go to jail for the sake of development which the
chief minister she alleged was blocking.

A few days later Mayawati also rescinded the
cancellation of allotment and cleared land for the railways.

The students, who interacted with Rahul Friday, later
told PTI that they apprised him about the lack of funds for
improvement of infrastructure and research facilities in the
university. They also demanded Central university status to
the university.

"Gandhi has assured us that he would take up their
demand with the Centre government", a BSc student said.

Advising students to join politics, Rahul said that on
his recent visit to Uttrakhand he had made a similar request
to the students' community.

Gandhi said that tough he was denied permission he
came to meet students as he wanted in interact with them.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal,
who represents Kanpur in Lok Sabha, said the university
authorities had themselves sought time from Gandhi but later
denied permission as it was under control of state government.

"The university administration has citied presence of
less number of students on the campus as the reason for
cancelling the interaction programme" Jaiswal said.

During Rahul's interaction with students, including a
large number of girls at the cafeteria, media persons were
kept out. PTI SAB
DEP