A political standoff unfolded on Thursday as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was stopped by police outside the Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, where he was scheduled to engage with students under the Congress party’s ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ initiative — a statewide public outreach program focusing on education rights and equity.
As the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha arrived at the gates of the hostel, his convoy was blocked from entering the premises by local authorities. The move sparked outrage among Congress supporters and leaders, who insisted that Gandhi’s interaction with students must proceed as planned.
Senior Bihar Congress leaders immediately confronted the security personnel at the venue, demanding access to the hostel and calling the action a deliberate attempt to stifle student voices and democratic engagement. The Ambedkar Hostel, known for housing students from marginalised communities, had been identified as a symbolic and significant location for Gandhi’s interaction.
The issue of venue permissions had already been a flashpoint in the lead-up to the event. On Wednesday night, the local administration denied permission for the interaction at Ambedkar Hostel but allowed an alternate venue — the Town Hall — only after the Congress strongly objected and alleged administrative bias.
However, Congress leaders remained firm in their stance. Earlier in the day, they declared that Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with students would happen at the original venue chosen by the party and not at the one imposed by the administration.
In a press conference held in Patna, senior Congress leader Abhay Dubey condemned the actions of the Darbhanga administration, alleging that it was acting under political pressure from the ruling JD(U)-BJP alliance. “The administration is trying to suppress the voice of deprived and marginalised students. Hundreds of students from nearby districts like Madhubani and Samastipur are being stopped from entering Darbhanga,” said Dubey. “But the government must realise that Rahul Gandhi represents the voice of India’s backward and oppressed sections.”
Dubey also mocked the administration’s justification that the Ambedkar Hostel was not mentioned in the original permission request, calling it a convenient excuse to disrupt the event.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from across opposition parties and civil society, with many accusing the government of muzzling democratic expression and political outreach.
Despite the hurdles, Congress sources said Gandhi was determined to speak to the students, whether formally or informally, and reiterated that the party would not bow to pressure tactics aimed at silencing dissent or disrupting constitutional rights to public engagement.
