Students stage protests to raise LUSU poll demand

The students resorted to protests after the LU administration prevented them from performing a religious ceremony, which they said was meant to appease the Gods for holding of the student union elections

Students from different organisations staged demonstration outside the Lucknow University Students Union (LUSU) building on Monday. They were demanding student union elections which have not been held since 2005.

Students stage protests to raise LUSU poll demand (HT photo)

The students resorted to protests after the LU administration prevented them from performing a religious ceremony, which they said was meant to appease the Gods for holding of the student union elections.

The students have been running a campaign to pressurise the officials for holding LUSU polls.

“On the 121st day of the ‘Student Union Restoration Campaign’, LU officials approached the police and stopped us from holding havan pujan (yagna and religious rituals) at LUSU building,” student leaders said.

“Since 2005 no student union election has been held. In 2006 the then LU administration had decided to hold the polls as per the recommendations of the Lyngdoh Commission. This was opposed and since then no elections have been held,” student leaders said.

LU proctor Rakesh Dwivedi said the student leaders’ demand to hold a religious ceremony on campus was not justified as examinations were underway and campus peace would have been affected.

“Moreover, the issue is today someone wants ‘hawan’ and tomorrow someone will seek permission for ‘namaz’ and that is why the demand was turned down,” the proctor said.

The students were asked to seek permission from LU registrar office, he said.