Nearly 800 students of Bharathiar University went on strike on Wednesday demanding that the Government withdraw the order allotting university land for setting up Anna University of Technology, Coimbatore.
Boycotting classes, students assembled in front of the main gate of the university and raised slogans to press their demands.
A section of them removed the gate that was erected at the start of the approach road to the proposed Anna University of Technology, more than 1,500 ft from the gate of Bharathiar University.
As a matter of precaution, Superintendent of Police – Coimbatore District N. Kannan deployed reinforcements to prevent the demonstration from becoming a law and order problem.
In the afternoon, the protesting students moved to the Marudhamalai Road, blocking traffic for more than an hour around lunch time.
The Revenue Administration deputed Tahsildars Lakshmikanthan (South) and Sundarrajan (North) to hold talks with the students.
On the intervention of Vice-Chancellor C. Swaminathan, the students dispersed after an hour of road blockade. During the hour-long obstruction, road traffic from Bharathiar University to Marudhamalai remained disrupted and the police had to divert it through an alternative route.
Students said that the Government should withdraw the G.O. allotting land to the technical university. They added that the basic earthwork and felling of many trees that had begun should be stopped.
