Congress vice president Rahul Gandi arrived in Pune on Friday morning to address and express support to the striking students of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) amidst strong protests launched by local BJP activists here.

Since the past two months, more than 200 students of FTII have been agitating against the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman and have boycotted classes despite being threatened with disciplinary action.

Some students had written a letter to Gandhi and sought his intervention in the issue, besides raising it in parliament.

They pointed out how after Gandhi took up the cause of students at the IIT-Madras, which had banned their Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, the restriction was revoked last month.

Protesting against Gandhi's trip to FTII, local BJP activists accused him of politicising the issue.

Attired in a black t-shirt and blue jeans, Gandhi met and expressed his sympathy for the FTII students' cause, and is scheduled to have a direct intervention with them shortly.

Earlier, prominent former students, top actors and Bollywood personalities have supported the students in their agitation against Chauhan's appointment.

(Source: IANS)