File pic of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Bihar
Darbhanga/Patna: The Darbhanga district administration has cleared the way for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed interaction with Dalit students on Thursday, following a last-minute change in venue.
Initially planned at the Ambedkar Hostel premises in Madarpur, the event—part of Gandhi’s ‘Shiksha Nyaya Samvad’ outreach—had been denied permission by the District Welfare Officer. Organisers from the Congress party subsequently shifted the location to Nagar Bhawan, where permission has now been granted.
District Magistrate Rajiv Roshan confirmed the development, stating that the programme will go ahead at the new venue from 11am, where the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will engage with Dalit students.
The district administration, in a late-night statement, clarified that once the venue was changed, the necessary clearance was issued. Congress district spokesperson Mohammad Aslam also confirmed the approval.
The issue had sparked local political tensions, after the District Welfare Officer Alok Kumar formally denied permission for the event at the hostel premises, notifying NSUI national secretary and organiser Mohammad Shadab Akhtar in a letter on Wednesday.
Despite the earlier setback, Congress leaders, including district president, had maintained that the dialogue would proceed, underlining the party’s determination to highlight issues of educational justice and Dalit empowerment as part of Rahul Gandhi’s wider national outreach.
