Over three dozen students were arrested by the Varanasi police and at least five hostels of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) vacated after violence broke out in the sprawling campus on Thursday over the demand to hold students’ union elections.
On Friday, the police assisted by paramilitary personnel, cracked down on agitating students and restored some order, though the situation on the campus still remains tense.
Students who have been protesting for the past few weeks pressing their demand resorted to violence and arson on Thursday.
They threw stones and burnt a couple of vehicles, and clashed with the police, paralysing the functioning of the central university.
Police resorted to lathi-charge and firing of rubber bullets to bring the situation under control.
The protest began with a demonstration at the main gate but trouble soon spread to the entire campus as students from various hostels clashed with the police.
Departments closedStudents forced closure of all departments.
On Friday, a heavy police posse first patrolled the campus and then started searching for trouble-makers in the hostels. Over 35 students were arrested, while the BHU administration ordered students to vacate at least five hostels, all belonging to Arts and Social Sciences faculties.
BHU students have been demanding restoration of the union and proper elections instead of the administration holding fresh polls for the students’ council. They had even staged a protest in front of Union Human Resource Minister Smriti Irani on the issue during her recent visit to Varanasi.
The students’ union was dissolved in 1997 after the campus witnessed large scale violence and arson, in which a few students were killed in police firing. After much pressure, a students’ council was formed in 2007-08. However, students want a proper union as in various universities in the State.
