New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday wrote a formal letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis raising urgent concerns over the ongoing hunger strike by Adivasi students in the state. LoP Rahul Gandhi highlighted that tribal students have been on strike for over ten days, protesting discriminatory rules, severe safety issues and poor living conditions in state‑run hostels.
In his post on X, LoP Rahul Gandhi said numerous tribal students from Maharashtra have been on hunger strike for more than ten days to demand their rights. He referred to the Echo of Students event in Pune, where female students shared that hostels enforce an unnecessary age limit of 30 years, humiliating rules, unsafe facilities and inhuman provisions such as pregnancy checks for women.
“These students, coming from remote villages and towns, are not asking for charity; they are demanding their rightful entitlements. It is expected that you will meet them personally and immediately resolve their issues,” he said.
Referring to various demands, LoP Rahul Gandhi noted that the new regulation prohibiting individuals over the age of 30 from residing in hostels has excluded many tribal students preparing for competitive exams or completing higher education.
He pointed to unsafe environments lacking basic food, sanitation and medical care, reporting instances of student injuries and deaths, including fatalities caused by snake bites.
LoP Rahul Gandhi condemned a policy requiring female students returning from extended absences to undergo mandatory pregnancy and medical tests to prove their “fitness,” calling the requirement an attack on their dignity and humanity.
Emphasising that the protesting students are demanding rights rather than charity, he urged CM Fadnavis to personally meet student representatives and immediately resolve their grievances. A formal memorandum detailing the students’ demands was attached to the communication.
(IANS)
