Attack on teachers forces LU to suspend admission process
LUCKNOW: The University of Lucknow has decided to suspend its admission process in the wake of an attack on varsity staffers by “anti-social elements”, vicechancellor SP Singh said on Wednesday. The university will remain closed till further notice, he said.
While the university was to open from July 10, it was only the post graduation admission and evaluation process that was on.
“The PG counseling scheduled for Thursday stands cancelled. The new date will be announced after Lucknow University Teachers Association general body meeting,” said LU spokesperson NK Pandey. He asked students to keep in touch through official website for further updates.
This was after nearly 12 years Lucknow University was closed for an indefinite period. Last time the university was closed indefinitely in December 2006 when student leaders resorted to violence ahead of students’ union polls that was later called off. The vice-chancellor said chief proctor Vinod Singh and other staffers suffered injuries when a group of around 25 people – mostly students expelled from the institution – pelted them with stones and beat them up on the institution campus.
Terming the incident as “unprecedented”, vice chancellor denounced the police for acting like mute spectators when maintaining law and order on the campus was their responsibility.
Proctor Vinod Singh said he alerted the police on two occasions on Wednesday, but received no response. RK Singh, dean of student welfare, and RR Yadav, dean of the college development council, were among those injured in the incident.
According to the vice-chancellor, he was leaving his office to address a function around 11.30 am when one of the assailants, Akash Saxena Lala, lay down in front of his car. When he alighted from the vehicle, a few others – including Vinay Yadav andoneHimanshu– surrounded him and began raising slogans. They allegedly threatened him with dire consequences and demanded readmission.
The expelled students struck again later in theday, around 1.30 pm. The vice-chancellor was coming out of the function venue along with a team of staffers when a group of 23 students – led by Ashish Singh Boxer and Akit Singh Babu – attacked them. Although the vice chancellor managed to escape unhurt, the staffers accompanying himwere not as lucky.
The decision to suspend the admission process at the university was taken soon afterwards. Lucknow University Teachers Association general secretary Durgesh Srivastava said the future course of action would be decided at an emergency meeting on Thursday morning.
Additional SP Trans Gomti Harendra Kumar said police were aware that expelled student leaders might create trouble. “Sufficient police were deployed on the campus and some troublemakers were taken into custody for causing nuisance. We will lodge FIRs once we get formal complaint from the university,” Kumar said.
LUCKNOW: The broad daylight attack on University of Lucknow (LU) staffers on Wednesday has once again brought home the fact that the varsity is not a safe place for anyone — students or teachers — said LU teachers.
They said that despite the presence of private security and police, a group of 25 expelled students freely entered the campus and attacked vice-chancellor SP Singh’s car and beat up teachers who looked on helplessly.
The women students seeking admission to the university were taken aback by the incident and worried about their safety on the campus. “I live in New Hyderabad. LU is walking distance from my place. But because of incidents like this, I have dropped the idea of pursuing BA from the university. Instead, I have applied to IT College and Avadh Girls’ Degree College. I will take admission in one of these two all-girls’ institutions,” said Sehar Khan, who passed Class 12 this year and wants to study humanities.
Every year, around the start of the academic session, expelled student leaders try and create law and order problems to attract publicity, say insiders. “They do so that the new entrants get to know their names and they are able to increase their clout,” said a staffer.
Wednesday’s incident was not the first instance of such violence on the varsity campus. Last year, on August 1, the V-C and other varsity officials were held hostage at the administrative block. “These repeated incidents of on-campus violence clearly establish that everything is not well at LU,” a researcher said.
V-C SP Singh blames police inaction for the recurrence of such incidents. But insiders assert that expelled student leaders enjoy the patronage of some teachers on campus who use them for their vested interests.
Now, in wake of Wednesday’s attack, the university has decided to suspend its admission process.
Chief proctor Vinod Singh and other staffers suffered injuries when a group of mostly expelled students pelted them with stones on the campus.