ALLAHABAD UNIVERSITY (AU) administration has made a formal request to the district police chief to take measures to provide adequate security cover to the varsity's Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe.
The varsity has demanded stationing of armed policemen round-the-clock at both VC's office and residence — where his camp office is located — in light of the increasing pressure from AU student leaders for announcement of the student union's election dates. Besides, some students had recently managed to reach VC's residence and obstructed his route while he was leaving his home on an urgent work.
It is worth mentioning that in August 2006 too the varsity had written to the district magistrate and the SSP, urging them to arrange security for the VC.
At that time too, some students of the Iswar Saran Degree College had not only managed to reach the VC's house on the MNNIT campus, but also entered without being stopped either by MNNIT security personnel manning the MNNIT gate or by the AU security personnel looking after the security of the VC's residence.
Following personal phone calls to the SSP by the proctor, the district police had provided two armed policemen at the VC's residence after a few days but they were withdrawn in just a week by the officials concerned reportedly without even bothering to inform the AU administration.
This time around, though the request has been made three days back, specifying the threat in light of the student leaders' demand for holding the union election, the district cops, busy rolling out a red carpet for the Chief Minister's Friday visit, have neither made the armed policemen available nor even bothered to contact the varsity officials to allay their fear till date.
{{/usCountry}}This time around, though the request has been made three days back, specifying the threat in light of the student leaders' demand for holding the union election, the district cops, busy rolling out a red carpet for the Chief Minister's Friday visit, have neither made the armed policemen available nor even bothered to contact the varsity officials to allay their fear till date.
{{/usCountry}}When contacted, AU Proctor Prof Jata Shankar said: "I have tried to talk to the SSP after sending the formal request for the armed policemen but could not succeed as he is busy in preparations for the CM's visit.
However, I will try to meet him personally after the CM's."
Prof Jata Shankar said that in the meantime, AU security officer had put the two armed varsity guards at VC's house on alert and a review at his own level too was under way. "If needed, we will increase the number of guards till we get the armed policemen," he added.