Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday sought Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ intervention over the hunger strike by Adivasi students in the state, flagging allegations that women students returning to hostels after an extended absence were being subjected to mandatory pregnancy tests.In a letter to Fadnavis, Gandhi said Adivasi students from across Maharashtra had been on hunger strike for more than 10 days over conditions in government hostels and alleged that their concerns had remained unheard.He asked the Chief Minister to personally meet representatives of the protesting students and resolve the issues raised by them immediately.“I was shocked to learn that female students returning after an extended absence must undergo pregnancy tests and a range of other medical tests, to prove their ‘fitness’,” Gandhi said in the letter.Calling the practice an assault on the dignity of women students, the Congress leader said, “It is a humiliation that presumes them guilty until they prove otherwise. This rule is an attack on their dignity and their humanity.”Gandhi said many Adivasi students came from remote villages and depended on government hostels to continue their education. A new rule, he claimed, barred anyone over the age of 30 from these hostels, excluding several students who were still completing their studies or preparing for examinations.He also raised concerns over conditions inside the hostels, alleging inadequate food, sanitation and medical care and saying students had suffered injuries and deaths, including from snake bites. Facilities for women students were even worse, he said.“Adivasi students from across Maharashtra have been on hunger strike for more than ten days. In Pune, they told me about rules that strip them of their dignity and shut off their path to education,” Gandhi wrote.The Congress leader said the students were seeking basic educational and living facilities rather than concessions from the government.“These students are not asking for charity. They are demanding what is theirs by right. They should not have to risk their health for their government to listen,” Gandhi said.The letter comes days after Gandhi interacted with students during his visit to Pune. He also enclosed with the letter a memorandum submitted by the tribal students detailing their demands.