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Student unions carry out march in Lucknow Univ to protest ‘police brutality’
Student leaders claimed that several students sustained severe injuries but the LU chief proctor Rakesh Dwivedi attempted to “brush the issue under the carpet”.
LUCKNOW Members of several student unions carried out a “resistance march” on Wednesday to protest “police brutality” on Lucknow University students. The student groups demanded the proctor’s resignation and a revision to hostel curfew timings. Recently, the varsity had issued orders to close its girls’ hostel gate at 8 pm and boys’ hostel gate at 10 pm.
Student organisations -- including All India Students’ Association (AISA), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, and Bursa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), among others -- joined the protest march against the alleged police violence against students that took place in the varsity campus late on December 16.
Student leaders claimed that several students sustained severe injuries but the LU chief proctor Rakesh Dwivedi attempted to “brush the issue under the carpet”. They allege that the varsity administration sided with the police and tried to intimidate protesting students by threatening consequences.
Speaking on the issue, AISA member Nikhil said, “This is not the first time when students have been assaulted inside campus premises. Not long ago, some outside goons entered the campus and thrashed LU students. Meanwhile, the university administration and the chief proctor displayed their incompetence. Also, a biased approach in the case of Dalit professor Ravikant Chandan, who was allegedly assaulted outside his department, has not gone down well with students.”
In a similar vein, NSUI’s Vishal Singh said that there is a continuous increase in cases of violence inside the campus and the chief proctor has been unable to ensure the safety of students. Meanwhile, Amit Yadav from Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha also expressed his concern over the varsity administration “intimidating” students, who are raising their voices on important issues.
PIC CAPTION: Student groups claimed that the varsity administration sided with the police and tried to intimidate protesting students.
