Government cannot stop me from raising students’ voice: Rahul after Prayagraj venue provider revokes permission

Published 6 August 2026 · politics

With the venue provider in Prayagraj revoking permission for his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (August 6, 2026) said no

With the venue provider in Prayagraj revoking permission for his ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (August 6, 2026) said no matter how hard the BJP government tries, it cannot stop him from raising the voice of students. The Leader of Opposition's remarks came after the Kayastha Pathshala Trust revoked permission for his 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme, scheduled to be held at KP Ground in Prayagraj on Saturday (August 8, 2026), citing an Allahabad High Court order. The trust also cited waterlogging at the venue for the cancellation. In a post in Hindi on X, Mr. Gandhi said the students of Allahabad University are fighting for their future against fee hikes and seat cuts.

"But instead of listening to the students, the administration is filing FIRs against them," he alleged. The policy of the Modi government is to suppress the voice of the youth, Mr. Gandhi claimed. "Ask a question and you get a lathi charge, protest and you face cases, and raise your voice and you get pellet guns," Mr. Gandhi said. "Ever since I decided to come to Prayagraj to hear the students' issues, the administration has been trying every possible way to stop my programme," Mr. Gandhi said. It's clear that they are even afraid of 'Chhatron ki Goonj', he said. "I stand with the students. No matter how hard the government tries, it cannot stop me from raising their voice," Mr. Gandhi asserted.

Gandhi's remarks came after the Kayastha Pathshala Trust's acting president, Jitendra Nath Chaudhary, told PTI that the Allahabad High Court, in an order dated August 14, 2025, had directed that the KP College ground should not be used for purposes other than sports and educational activities. इलाहाबाद विश्वविद्यालय के छात्र फीस वृद्धि और सीट कटौती के खिलाफ़ अपने भविष्य की लड़ाई लड़ रहे हैं। लेकिन प्रशासन छात्रों को सुनने के बजाय उन पर FIR कर रहा है। मोदी सरकार की नीति ही युवाओं की आवाज़ दबाना है। सवाल पूछो तो लाठी, विरोध करो तो मुक़दमे, और आवाज़ उठाओ तो पेलेट गन।… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2026 He said the ground was also waterlogged after rain and was unsafe for a public event.

Chaudhary said the permission granted to the Congress was conditional upon approval from the district magistrate. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was scheduled to interact with students on alleged paper leaks and other matters affecting students at the gathering. On Wednesday (August 5, 2026), Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai visited Prayagraj to review preparations for the event. Rai asserted that Gandhi will come to Prayagraj on Saturday (August 8, 2026) and interact with students despite the KP Trust revoking permission for the venue.