Nashik in Focus: Rahul Gandhi's Congress Training Visit, Tribal Students' Education Fight, and SIT Probe
🗳️ Rahul Gandhi Rallies Maharashtra Congress Leaders in Nashik at Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Nashik to participate in the concluding session of the party's Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan — an eight-to-ten-day organisational training programme for newly elected zilla presidents of the Maharashtra Congress. Gandhi met all the newly elected district presidents and their families, delivering a message to stand firmly with the party's ideological roots and to fight for people's justice. Congress Working Committee member Arif Naseem Khan said the interaction was designed to energise grassroots leadership ahead of an intense period of organisational mobilisation. The visit was Gandhi's second trip to Maharashtra within eleven days, signalling a sustained focus on rebuilding party structures at the district level. His arrival prompted a counter-demonstration: Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher-Adake and women BJP leaders staged a protest march, accusing the Congress of opposing women's representation in Parliament and state assemblies. The duelling events underscored the intensely contested political climate in Maharashtra as rival formations compete to strengthen their organisational machinery for upcoming electoral contests. [9]
🎓 Rahul Gandhi Meets Tribal Students on Hunger Strike in Nashik, Declares Education a Right Not a Privilege
During his Nashik visit, Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of tribal students who had been on a hunger strike to press for unresolved educational demands. Gandhi stated that education is not a privilege but a fundamental right for every student, lending significant political visibility to a grievance that advocates say has long been inadequately addressed by the state administration. The students are among a broader group from Maharashtra's Adivasi communities who have raised concerns about access to quality schooling, hostel facilities, and scholarship disbursements in government institutions. Their sustained protest in Nashik drew public attention precisely because it preceded a high-profile political visit, ensuring their cause reached a national audience. Congress leaders accompanying Gandhi indicated the party would take up the students' specific demands with relevant state authorities. The encounter highlighted the educational challenges facing Nashik's tribal population: the region has a significant Adivasi community, and these communities consistently cite insufficient educational infrastructure — particularly residential schooling — as a principal barrier to economic mobility and intergenerational progress. [4]
SIT Questions Maharashtra Women's Commission Chief Rupali Chakankar in Nashik Over Ashok Kharat Links
Maharashtra State Women's Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar was called for questioning by a Special Investigation Team in Nashik over alleged connections to Ashok Kharat, whose case is at the centre of a high-profile political probe in the state. Chakankar, a prominent figure in Maharashtra's political landscape with ties to the Congress-NCP sphere, appeared before investigators amid rising scrutiny of her relationship to Kharat and the circumstances of his activities. The SIT questioning in Nashik signals an expansion of investigative scope in what has become a politically charged case, with members of the ruling Mahayuti alliance using the probe to challenge the credibility of the Women's Commission and its leadership. Congress allies have characterised the investigation as selectively motivated and politically timed. Chakankar maintained that her interactions with Kharat were within official and professional boundaries. The case is closely watched in Maharashtra's charged political atmosphere as both major coalitions seek to use high-profile proceedings to sharpen their narratives. The Nashik appearance added a significant new chapter to a probe that has drawn sustained media coverage across the state for several months. [1]
Sources: [9] Daily Pioneer · [4] Mid-Day · [1] News On AIR