Mysuru: Former Mysuru  Mayor Shivakumar has accused the Congress of misusing school and college campuses for political activities, alleging that such events undermine the academic atmosphere.

In a statement issued yesterday, Shivakumar expressed concern over banners and a photo exhibition featuring Rahul Gandhi that were displayed inside the Maharani’s PU College auditorium at an event on Wednesday.

He said the Karnataka Educational Institutions Classification and Regulation Act, 1989, prohibits political programmes on educational campuses and noted that Government circulars reserve such premises exclusively for teaching, extracurricular activities, sports and academic events.

Alleging a violation of these norms, Shivakumar claimed that officials of the Pre-University Education Department and the Principal of Maharani’s PU College had yielded to pressure from Congress legislators and permitted the programme.

He further alleged that the Congress was engaging in petty politics by involving students across the State and the country and claimed that such attempts would be rejected by both the students and the public.