Students of the Allahabad University (AU) in Uttar Pradesh created a ruckus on the evening of March 3 over the demand for online examinations. As the protests intensified, the police were called in and the entire Arts campus and the surrounding areas turned into a fortress with the police force being deployed in and around the university.
Police also used mild force to disperse the agitating students, who were demanding the holding of annual exams in the online mode since the past fortnight. Trouble began when student leaders tried to disrupt the interviews being conducted by the selection committee at the AU guest house. When the police were called in, the agitated student leaders arrived at the Arts campus and blocked the road in front of the library gate of AU. Another group of student leaders, along with their supporting students, moved from one department to another, asking the staff to close the department.
The officials first tried to convince the student leaders to call off their agitation, but when the same failed to make any impact, the police used mild force and chased away the protesting students. Some of the students allegedly were injured in the chaos. Police have detained some of the student leaders at the protesting site. "We have detained three student leaders who were protesting at the Arts campus of AU," said Circle Officer (CO) Colonelganj, Ajeet Kumar Chauhan.
AU chief proctor, Prof Harsh Kumar said that the AU administration has suspended four students on charges of disrupting the selection committee and the peace of the campus. "These students have been suspended with immediate effect and have been asked to report to the chief proctors' office on March 10 along with their parents, explaining why they should not be expelled from AU," he said.
