For the BJP minister, the action came from unexpected quarters because the ABVP, like the party, is an arm of the Sangh Parivar. The activists virtually held the Minister in their custody for over twenty minutes on the dais, chanting slogans against the State's controversial decision to grant permission to new Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) colleges run by some politicians and influential education barons.

What came as a surprise was that no police bandobast had been done despite the fact that the ABVP had earlier announced in the media its plan of action.The incident occurred when Rane began to read out his speech at the inauguration of the third convention of Maharashtra-Goa section of Indian Society for Technical Education beingheld at Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology.

In what seem a well-orchestrated plan, ABVP activists rushed to the stage, pushed the Minister aside and grabbed. As the personal bodyguard of Rane, a police officer and two police constables, watched helplessly, the activists raised slogans and called for immediate cancellation of the inauguration ceremony.

When things appeared to go out of hand, the police was summoned. But the frenzied group refused to calm down and demanded that the minister make an immediate announcement about cancelling permission to the BCS colleges run by former State Minister Shashikant Sutar, MLA Ramakrishna More and former Senate member N C Joshi.

As the events unfolded on the dais, the invitees -- those present included Director of Forbes Marshall Farhad Forbes, Dr N R Shetty, president ISTE, State technical education director P K Patil -- and organisers, senior office-bearers of ISTE found themselves in a tangle.

``The decision to grant permission for new BCS colleges wastaken by the Cabinet. I am ready to discuss the issue later provided the activists allow the inauguration ceremony to continue,'' Rane pleaded.

But the activists, who numbered close to a hundred, would have none of it. They eventually forced Rane to enter into an on-the-spot dialogue with their representatives.

As pandemonium reigned, a police team escorted Rane to the Principal's room where the Minister held discussions with the ABVP office-bearers. After fifteen minutes, Rane returned to the dais and announced that if the permission for the BCS courses had been granted by flouting rules and regulations, it would be cancelled.

Rane did, however, buy himself some breathing time, saying it will take seven days to decide on the issue.

``It will take at least seven to eight days to deliberate on the issue from the point of view of students, who have been enrolled for the BCS course in these colleges, and serving notices to colleges,'' he said.