LU second campus law hostel inmates stage dharna, demand warden’s removal over ‘misbehaviour’
According to students, till now around 25 students have left the hostel after being fed up with their warden’s errant behaviour
A number of law hostel inmates of the Lucknow University (LU)’s second campus staged a dharna on Friday demanding removal of their provost for his alleged misbehaviour with hostellers. The hostellers who sat on dharna alleged that Radhey Shyam Singh, the warden of Homi Jehangir Bhabha Boys’ Hostel in LU second campus, illegally forced them to sign an affidavit declaring that university officials can ask for inmates urine test and can check their belongings at any point of time.
They also accused their warden of making indecent remarks. According to students, till now around 25 students have left the hostel after being fed up with their warden’s errant behaviour. A demand has been made to the vice chancellor to remove the warden. When contacted, the warden refuted the allegations levelled against him and termed them baseless.
“We are providing the best facilities to the students in our hostel. A few inmates want to use cooler for which they were asked to deposit ₹5,000 extra. A few students started cooking non-veg food inside hostel which is against the university’s hostel rule book. That has been stopped,” the warden said.
“The inmates were asked to give an undertaking and not an affidavit that they will abide by the university rules and will not indulge in ragging of first year students,” he added. The hostel has a total capacity for 140 law students. Presently, 95 inmates are staying in the hostel. Another 20 LLB first year students, who have been allotted the hostel, will join them soon.
Dr Abhishek Kumar Tiwari, additional dean, student welfare, Lucknow University Campus II and his team on Friday conducted a surprise inspection of all canteens and drinking water system operating on the university campus and instructed the people concerned to strictly follow proper cleanliness arrangements.
The team identified some outsiders on the campus and asked them to leave. It also instructed guards to regularly check ID cards of the students. The team talked to the students present on the spot, listened to their problems and resolved them. Their problems included banning those items which were being sold at a price higher than the maximum retail price. All canteen operators were ordered to ensure cleanliness, drainage and proper disposal of unused cups and plates etc.
