A group of students belonging to the Dr. Ambedkar Government Arts College at Vyasarpadi here went berserk damaging vehicles and infrastructure on the campus on Monday. They were protesting against the college authorities for detaining some students and not issuing hall tickets to a few others because of inadequate attendance. Police used “mild force” to chase away the protestors. Several students were taken into custody.
According to police sources, the students raised slogans holding the college management responsible for the suicide of D.Ilayaraja (20), a BBA student of Tiruvallur. They alleged that Ilayaraja took the extreme step after he was denied hall ticket due to poor attendance.
When they blocked traffic on the Erukkanchery High Road for about an hour demanding hall tickets to all students, police intervened and persuaded them to disperse.
“Ilayaraja had only 40 per cent attendance. However, he was given hall ticket considering his participation in National Cadet Corps (NCC) activities. A few students who were detained for want of attendance are exploiting the situation,” M.B. Chandrasekar, Principal (in-charge) said.
He said the agitating students prevented others from appearing in the semester examinations forcing the college authorities to postpone the examinations indefinitely. “We anticipated trouble and informed the police well in advance. A police team arrived and acted only when things almost got out of control. It was only after we informed the Police Commissioner that action was taken,” he said.
Prof. Chandrasekar said a complaint would be lodged against the students who damaged the vehicles of staff members and ransacked the water-treatment plant in the campus. He said as per the college rules, students with less than 50 per cent attendance had to repeat the course while those with 50 to 60 per cent attendance had to write the examination in the next academic year.
