Nagpur: A fresh political confrontation erupted in Maharashtra on Tuesday after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking his intervention in the grievances of tribal students protesting over hostel rules and facilities. The protests are underway in Nagpur and Pune.Tribal Development minister Ashok Uike hit back, accusing Gandhi of arriving late to the issue and alleging that Congress functionaries had failed to brief him about developments.Gandhi wrote to Fadnavis on Monday after meeting tribal students during his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ interaction in Pune. He said students from across Maharashtra had been on hunger strike for more than 10 days and urged CM to meet their representatives and resolve their grievances immediately.Uike, however, disputed Gandhi’s account. In a post on X, he said the tribal students from Nagpur and Pune had withdrawn their hunger strike before Gandhi’s visit. “Rahulji, you always arrive late!” he wrote, accusing Gandhi of holding a “paid PR programme”. He said govt has raised the age limit for hostel intake to 30 years in response to students’ demands.In his letter, Gandhi said many tribal students from remote villages depend on govt hostels to pursue higher education in cities. He criticised the revised age limit of 30 years for hostel accommodation, saying it could exclude students still completing their studies or preparing for competitive examinations. Govt had initially fixed the age limit at 26 through an Aug 4 GR before revising it to 30 on Aug 14 following protests. Students, however, are demanding withdrawal of the provision.Gandhi also highlighted complaints about inadequate food, sanitation and medical facilities in hostels, as well as reports of injuries and deaths linked to snakebites. His strongest criticism concerned an alleged requirement for female students returning after an extended absence to undergo pregnancy and other medical tests.“I was shocked to learn that female students returning after an extended absence must undergo pregnancy tests and a range of other medical tests, to prove their ‘fitness’,” Gandhi said in the letter, describing the alleged practice as “an attack on their dignity and their humanity.”He stressed that the protesters were “not asking for charity” but demanding what they considered their rightful entitlements, and asked Fadnavis to meet them personally.Uike rejected Gandhi’s allegation regarding pregnancy tests. “The talk of pregnancy testing is completely false; no such test exists,” he said, adding that students returning after a month-long absence were asked for a fitness certificate concerning their health.The minister further sought to turn the criticism back on Congress, referring to complaints from tribal residential schools and alleging that some facilities were associated with former Congress functionaries.“Several hostels are run by Congress people, from where complaints have been received. We will make sure that all the complaints are thoroughly investigated and anyone found guilty will be dealt with the strictest action,” he said.
