Students’ groups clash again in LU

THE VIOLENCE LED TO FEAR AMONG COMMON STUDENTS WHO STAYED IN THEIR CLASSROOMS EVEN AFTER CLASSES

LUCKNOW: Violence rocked Lucknow University campus once again on Monday when students armed with canes created ruckus for more than two hours. The situation was controlled after police intervened.

Trouble erupted when a group of students who were injured during the firing and violence on Thursday night reached the proctor’s office. They complained to proctor Nishi Pandey that they were receiving threats from the other group of students. They said that the group was mounting pressure on the injured students to withdraw the complaint. The aggrieved students were talking to the proctor when the other group of students (against whom FIR was registered for Thursday and Friday’s violence) also reached the proctor’s office. Beginning with verbal arguments, the tussle finally escalated into a clash at about 11 AM. However, no student received any major injury.

The presence of expelled students on campus added fuel to the fire. The aggrieved students objected to the entry of expelled students on campus and demanded that action be initiated against them.

The students against whom FIR was registered for violence again reached the campus armed with canes and rods, in a group of around 100 at 2pm. They assembled at the Shivaji stadium. At the same time, another group of 60-70 students, also equipped with canes and rods, collected outside the proctor’s office. However, police locked the gates near cashier’s office to control the students and no untoward incident took place. The violence on campus led to fear among common students. To avoid getting caught in it, the students preferred to stay within their classrooms even after their classes got over.

The aggrieved group of students also demanded the proctor’s resignation, alleging that she was favouring the mischief mongers.

To recall, on Friday, protesting student leaders locked the main entrance gate and staged a demonstration, demanding action against one Amrit Mishra and others for opening fire on hostellers. They pelted the cops with stones when the latter tried to get the locked gates opened. There was panic on the campus and police resorted to lathi charge to quell the protesters who were 200 in number.

“All hostel inmates have been clearly told that no unauthorised person will be allowed to stay in hostels. So, all such illegal occupants of hostel rooms must leave the university campus,” said Prof Nishi Pandey, LU Proctor.

Prof Pandey added that police force had been deployed on the campus as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incident.