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Angry students take it out on city
STUDENT LEADERS of the Lucknow University, as well as degree colleges, created a ruckus throughout the city on Thursday in retaliation to the firm stand taken by the varsity authorities on adhering to the Lyngdoh panel recommendations. Student leaders with criminal antecedents resorted to vandalism on and off the university and college campuses. Along with their supporters, they looted shops, pelted vehicles with stones, roughed up passers-by and misbehaved with women.
Hit back at LU’s firm stand by ransacking campus, looting shops, teasing women
STUDENT LEADERS of the Lucknow University, as well as degree colleges, created a ruckus throughout the city on Thursday in retaliation to the firm stand taken by the varsity authorities on adhering to the Lyngdoh panel recommendations.
Student leaders with criminal antecedents resorted to vandalism on and off the university and college campuses. Along with their supporters, they looted shops, pelted vehicles with stones, roughed up passers-by and misbehaved with women.
They even attacked district administration officials, following which police resorted to lathi-charge at several places. About six student leaders were injured in the police action. The leaders were opposing the redefined eligibility criteria and the new clauses on “disciplinary action”, which the Lucknow University had added to prevent student leaders with criminal records from contesting elections.
The LU stand shocked the student leaders. The rowdy leaders exploited police and administrative laxity to vandalise university property and ransack various departments. University officials apprised the Raj Bhawan of the day's incident.
There were reports that the university was seeking footage of the day's incident to identify and act against errant student leaders.
Trouble began with student leaders forcing closure of various departments. Their supporters uprooted several new gates and ransacked some departments. As a result, teaching remained paralysed. Absence of police force and lack of initiative by the proctorial team abetted the vandalism.
Thereafter, the agitating student leaders marched towards Raj Bhawan, while their supporters pelted vehicles with stones, looted shoe/garment shops and vendors in Hazratganj. Police remained mute spectators to these incidents.
Traders put up their shutters, as the mob headed towards the Hazratganj crossing.
When police and district administration officials stopped them from reaching the Raj Bhawan, student leaders misbehaved with the officials. Police resorted to a lathi-charge thereafter. Within minutes, student leaders fled the scene, but not before a couple of them were held for resorting to violence.
From there, student leaders, along with their supporters, returned to the campus and resumed vandalising university property. Police, though present in large numbers, did nothing to control the rowdy elements. It seemed police and district administration officials were not bothered, as long as the agitation was confined to the university.
Violence was witnessed at other degree colleges too. The Shia PG College was the worst affected. Student leaders of the college continued damaging property on the second day and put up roadblocks. They pelted district administration officials with stones, compelling police to resort to a cane-charge. Violence was also witnessed at the Vidyant College and the Kali Charan College.
