Violence flares up over campus polls

Express News Service
October 2, 2016

Students of Utkal University trying to close the main gate as security forces prevent them in Bhubaneswar on Saturday | Express

BHUBANESWAR: Tension ran high in Maharishi College of Natural Law and Utkal University on Saturday as students protested the nomination list announced by the authorities for students’ union election.

The college was closed sine die following violence on the campus. Earlier in the day, the college authorities decided to scrap the students’ union election as nominations of most of the candidates were found invalid. The papers of six candidates for the post of president were found invalid as their attendance was not above 75 per cent as per Lyngdoh Commission guidelines. Similar was the case with three vice-president aspirants, secretary and other posts. Nominations of only four aspirants were found valid and they were elected uncontested.
Following the announcement, the students went berserk and ransacked the college property besides pelting stones at some staff of the college. One of the staff was injured in the incident. Later, students staged a road blockade outside the college by burning tyres. While some students also damaged a car parked in front of the college, the blockade continued for three hours. Finally, the principal closed the college sine die.
In Utkal University, students owing allegiance to Congress’ student wing NSUI and BJP’s ABVP staged demonstration on the campus alleging violation of Lyngdoh Commission guidelines. Despite criminal cases pending against BCJD supported presidential candidate Mahesh Prasad, his nomination was validated by the university authorities, they said.
The authorities met again in the evening to discuss the issue. The candidature of Prasad was not cancelled on the ground that he was not convicted in any criminal case.
Protesting this, a group of students locked the Vice-Chancellor (VC), PG Council Chairman and some student advisory committee members in the VC’s office for several hours. While NSUI members staged dharna outside the VC office, the AVBP members sat on agitation and burnt tyres outside the main gate. Two platoons of police force were deployed in the campus.
At Ramadevi Women’s University, students owing allegiance to AVBP staged protest against cancellation of candidature of their aspirants.
According to sources, the nominations of Chaya Kumari, president aspirant, Snigdha Mohanty (athletic secy), Itishree Mallik (cultural secy) and Rashmita Nayak (secy, social service guild) were cancelled for lack of 75 per cent attendance.
Chaya, however, claimed that her attendance was more than 75 pc and accused the university authorities of deliberately cancelling her nomination.
She accused teachers of supporting the candidates owing allegiance to a particular party.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Violence-flares-up-over-campus-polls/2016/10/02/article3634512.ece

Campus poll in 6 more colleges cancelled, tension in Utkal Varsity

Odishatv Bureau
October 1, 2016

Bhubaneswar: With the students’ union elections in Odisha just four days away, the authorities of six more colleges today cancelled elections in four colleges and declared sine die due to violence.

Besides, tension prevailed in the Utkal University campus on the issue of validation of candidature of a student.

Tension ran high in Maharishi College of Natural Law in the capital city after the candidature of two presidential candidates and two general secretaries was rejected by the authorities during scrutiny.

Protesting the decision of the authorities, the irate students had a scuffle with some college staff in which one of the employees was injured.

The irate students later blocked the road by burning tyres urging the authorities to reconsider their decision.

Sensing trouble, the authorities declared the college sine die.

“Most of the teachers are not coming to the class regularly. Besides, there are a number of vacant posts of teachers in our college. But the principal is not bothered about this. If the attendance of the teachers is not checked, the college authorities have no right to check our attendance”, an irate student told media persons.

Similar situation prevailed in MPC Autonomous College and MPC Junior College in Baripada. Soon after the authorities rejected the nominations of four candidates, a group of irate students barged into the college office premises and ransacked office properties including computers, printers, CCTV cameras and furniture. They also tried to set the office of the principal on fire. Police later arrested five students including a presidential candidate. The college authorities later declared sine die.

Talking to media persons, principal of MPC Autonomous College, Banaja Mohanty said following the violence, the college authorities handed over the college premises to the district administration and declared the college sine die.

Election was also cancelled in MPC Junior College and sine die was declared following clash between two student groups.

In Bhadrak district, authorities of Atal Bihari College, Basudevpur, cancelled the election and declared the college sine die after irate students ransacked the college protesting the rejection of nomination of their presidential candidate.

As the situation went out of control, police resorted to mild lathi charge in which two students were injured.

In Puri district, the students of Gop College, under the banner of Chhatra Ekata Manch, took out a protest rally and burnt the effigy of the principal after the college authorities cancelled the election. Besides, authorities of Alarnath College in Brahmagiri in the district cancelled the election and declared the college sine die due to violence. Protesting the decision, the students later staged road blockade on Satapada-Puri road disrupting vehicular traffic for nearly two hours. However, the students withdrew the blockade after police rushed to the spot and pacified them.

In Bhubaneswar, tension prevailed in Utkal University campus in the afternoon after some students locked the main gate demanding arrest of a presidential candidate whose nomination was validated by the authorities despite his criminal antecedents.

The irate students had a scuffle with the security personnel as they tried to lock up the main gate.

The students later came to the office of the vice chancellor at the central office and demanded the arrest of the presidential candidate.

Briefing the media Gayatri Satpathy, a girl student contesting for the post of president, said how a person having criminal records can be allowed to contest the election.

Rubbishing the allegations, Mahesh Prasad, another presidential candidate, said the students will give a fitting reply to his rival candidates and their supporters who are trying to malign the university.

There was mild tension in Rama Devi Women’s University following rejection of nomination paper of a candidate while students of Ispat College in Rourkela staged demonstration in protest against the rejection of nominations of some candidates.

In Keonjhar, tension prevailed in Anandpur college after the authorities rejected the nomination of a presidential candidate. Protesting the decision, irate students staged demonstration after locking the main gate of the college.

With the final list of candidates announced today, campaigning has been intensified.

As per schedule, “Why I stand for” meeting will be held on October 4. The election will be held on October 5 and the results will be announced in the afternoon on the same day.

The oath-taking ceremony is scheduled on October 6.

http://odishatv.in/odisha/body-slider/students-union-poll-in-five-more-colleges-cancelled-tension-in-utkal-varsity-168565/

Campus violence over students' union polls

Express News Service
October 1, 2016

BHUBANESHWAR: Tension ran high in Maharishi College of Natural Law and Utkal University on Saturday as students protested the nomination list announced by the authorities for students' union election.
The college was closed sine die following violence on the campus. Earlier in the day, the college authorities decided to scrap the students' union election as nominations of most of the candidates were found invalid.
The papers of six candidates for the post of president were found invalid as their attendance was not above 75 per cent as per Lyngdoh Commission guidelines.
Similar was the case with three vice-president aspirants, secretary and other posts.
Nominations of only four aspirants were found valid and they were elected uncontested.
Following the announcement, the students went berserk and ransacked the college property besides pelting stones at some staff of the college. One of the staff was injured in the incident. Later, students staged a road blockade outside the college by burning tyres. While some students also damaged a car parked in front of the college, the blockade continued for three hours. Finally, the principal shut the college sine die. In Utkal University, students owing allegiance to Congress' student wing NSUI and BJP's ABVP staged demonstration on the campus alleging violation of Lyngdoh Commission guidelines. Despite criminal cases pending against BCJD supported presidential candidate Mahesh Prasad, his nomination was validated by the university authorities, they said. The authorities met again in the evening to discuss the issue. The candidature of Prasad was not cancelled on the ground that he was not convicted in any criminal case.
Protesting this, a group of students locked the Vice-Chancellor (VC), PG Council Chairman and some student advisory committee members in the VC's office for several hours. While NSUI members staged dharna outside the VC office, the AVBP members sat on agitation and burnt tyres outside the main gate. Two platoons of police force were deployed in the campus.
At Ramadevi Women's University, students owing allegiance to AVBP staged protest against cancellation of candidature of their aspirants. According to sources, the nominations of Chaya Kumari, president aspirant, Snigdha Mohanty (athletic secy), Itishree Mallik (cultural secy) and Rashmita Nayak (secy, social service guild) were cancelled for lack of 75 per cent attendance. Chaya, however, claimed that her attendance was more than 75 pc and accused the university authorities of deliberately cancelling her nomination. She accused teachers of supporting the candidates owing allegiance to a particular party.
Students' union election will now be held only in Utkal University, Rama Devi Women's University, Kamala Nehru College, Rajdhani College, Devray College and University Law College in the City.
Elections were already cancelled in Basic Science College, BJB College, Capital Law College, Ekamra College and City Women's College.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Campus-violence-over-students-union-polls/2016/10/01/article3634312.ece

Pre-poll Violence in Capital Colleges: Maharishi, Rajdhani Closed Sine Die

Indian Express
October 7, 2015

Maharishi College of Natural Law

BHUBANESWAR: The Maharishi College of Natural Law and Rajdhani College in the Capital City were closed sine die on Tuesday following pre-poll violence on the campuses. Earlier in the day, the authorities of both the colleges decided to scrap the students’ union election as nominations of most of the prospective candidates were declared invalid.

At Rajdhani College, a group of students locked the principal and teachers inside the institution for six hours to protest against the rejection of nomination papers. Of the nine candidates who had filed nominations for the post of president, papers of only two candidates were found valid. The attendance percentage of these two candidates was above 75 per cent as set by the Lyngdoh Commission guideline. The attendance percentage of the rest seven candidates was below 50 per cent.

Sources said a group of students staged demonstration demanding revalidation of the nomination papers. They became violent and locked the staff common room and college gates, said Principal of the college Jahanara Begum. Apprehending trouble, the teachers’ council decided to close the institution sine die.


Apart from the president post, candidates were declared uncontested in all other posts of the students’ union in the college.

Similarly in Maharishi College of Natural Law, students took to the street after all the nomination papers filed were rejected during scrutiny on Tuesday. Principal of the college Basant Sahu said nominations of all 89 candidates were found invalid due to shortage of attendance.

Following a notification in this regard, students accused teachers of the college of being supportive towards candidates owing allegiance to a particular party. “When approached, the students were not ready to talk with the teachers over the issue. As they were getting restive, we decided to close the college sine die,” Sahu said.

Meanwhile, two crude bombs were thrown at Indira Gandhi ST Women’s hostel which houses several outstation students of Rama Devi Women’s University at around 11.55 am on Tuesday by two unidentified miscreants. The incident occurred prior to release of the final list of eligible candidates for the students’ union poll in the university. While no student was injured, some glass panes of the hostel were damaged.

Following the incident, students of the university sat on dharna outside the hostel demanding action against the miscreants. Saheed Nagar police station IIC Deepak Mishra said the miscreants threw cracker bombs at the hostel.

Following the complaint, police have launched a manhunt to nab the two miscreants. PG Council Chairperson of the university Bani Sengupta said of total 42 nomination papers filed, 14 were found invalid.

Students’ union election will now be held only in Rama Devi Women’s University, Kamala Nehru College and BJB Autonomous College in Bhubaneswar. Elections were already cancelled in Utkal University, Ekamra College and City Women’s College.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/Pre-poll-Violence-in-Capital-Colleges-Maharishi-Rajdhani-Closed-Sine-Die/2015/10/07/article3067190.ece